Utah Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Today the Salt Lake Tribune is reporting a significant increase in the number of reported medical mistakes in Utah hospitals.


Utah law requires health care providers to report so-called "sentinel events." Utah Administrative Code Rule R380-200-2 defines a "sentinel event" as "an event which has resulted in an unanticipated death or major permanent loss of function, not related to the natural course of the patient's illness or underlying condition or is an unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk thereof. Serious injury specifically includes loss of limb or function."

As you can see from the graph, the number of reported events has increased dramatically since 2002. As reported, the state has begun tracking a greater number of events, which likely accounts for the increase. What the report fails to discuss, however, is how many of these "sentinel events" go unreported by health care providers and medical facilities. Indeed, that is one flaw with the system--it relies on doctors and companies to self-report their mistakes. Obviously, they have an incentive to under-report their negligence.

Because our practice is focused on Utah medical malpractice cases, we hear directly from the patients, not the health care administrators. I can assure you, there are many more instances of medical negligence resulting in "death or serious physical or psychological injury" than have been reported. For instance, we recently settled a case involving the wrongful death of a gentleman who underwent a routine hernia repair operation. During the procedure, the surgeon perforated the patient's bowel, resulting in bacterial contamination and sepsis. Although the patient was in the intensive care unit, the nurses failed to monitor his temperature and fluid levels. Not surprisingly, the patient's condition deteriorated, but instead of paging the on-call doctor, the nurses left a phone message with the wrong physician. By the time doctors were able to respond, it was too late, and the patient died, leaving a widow and several adult children.

Despite the obvious errors and the resulting death, the hospital never reported it as a "sentinel event." Additionally, the surgeon who perforated the bowel talked the family out of an autopsy, claiming that "it wouldn't do any good." Although they were given many opportunities to take responsibility for the seriousness of their errors, the providers instead denied any liability, and the insurance companies hired a team of lawyers to prevent the family from discovering how their husband and father had died.

Medical malpractice is increasing, and is being defended more aggressively by insurance companies and their lawyers. As the recent report indicates, some of these cases are being reported to state officials. But nobody is taking care of the victims of these serious medical errors. As in the example listed above, negligent doctors and nurses refuse to admit their mistakes, and their insurance companies will do all they can to avoid paying for outstanding bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. That's why the Utah medical malpractice lawyers at G. Eric Nielson & Associates are here. The insurance companies have lawyers working hard to defend substandard care; you need aggressive, experienced legal advocates on your side as well.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of medical negligence, call and discuss your rights with an attorney today: (801) 424-9088.

Labels: Medical Malpractice, Utah Personal Injury Attorneys