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Patients Still Suffering From Massive Medical Fraud

On Behalf of | Jul 12, 2019 | Medical Malpractice

When you go in for a medical procedure, you should never have to worry about a medical mistake or a defective product causing you harm. At Licata & Yeremenko, A Professional Law Corporation, we are here to help if you need a medical malpractice attorney in California. We understand that medical mistakes can be life-changing and come at incredible costs. Today, we want to talk about a massive medical fraud case that happened in California and how it is still affecting people today.

What Happened In This Case?

“Those screws go into patients’…bones…little pieces of those threads can break off in people’s bodies and end up in their tissue,” said Justin Berger. “It can cause serious complications.”

Berger is talking about counterfeit spinal screws that were used in one of the largest medical frauds in California history. The fraud included middlemen who were paid to find patients with back problems stemming from work-related injuries. Doctors were paid kickbacks to perform the spinal surgeries (often unnecessary in the first place) at specific hospitals.

In many cases, the doctors were paid with ridiculous kickbacks and other benefits. One physician wanted Super Bowl tickets. The hospitals were not only overbilling for the hardware used in the surgeries, but they were mixing in the counterfeit spinal screws with ones that were FDA approved.

“The pain has traveled up to my neck, my shoulders,” said one of the victims. “I’m positive it is because of the counterfeit hardware that was placed in my back.” The victim also believes that the surgeon was aware that the screw was counterfeit.

Medical Mistakes Occur Regularly

In the case above, many people were fully aware they were engaged in wrongdoing. However, most medical mistakes are not intentional, but they still cause harm. Johns Hopkins researchers say that around 250,000 people are killed each year due to medical mistakes in the US. Millions of other patients survive the mistakes and are left dealing with the consequences. These occur in a variety of ways, but often involve:

  • Surgical mistakes
  • Missed diagnosis
  • Failure to treat
  • Medication errors
  • Birth injuries
  • Early discharge from the hospital
  • Healthcare-acquired infections

Each of these mistakes can lead to massive medical bills, along with a lifetime of pain and suffering.

Let Us Help If You Have Been Harmed By A Medical Error

If you or a loved one have been harmed due to the careless or negligent actions of a medical professional, you need to seek legal assistance as soon as possible. At Licata & Yeremenko, A Professional Law Corporation, we are ready to step in and get to work on your behalf. Our dedicated team understands how these cases work and will work diligently to secure the compensation you deserve. This can include:

  • Coverage of all medical expenses related to the mistake, including future medical expenses
  • Recovery of lost income if you are unable to work
  • Pain and suffering/loss of enjoyment of life damages
  • Loss of consortium
  • Punitive damages against the responsible parties

When you need a California medical malpractice attorney, you can reach out to us on our website by clicking here or calling us at 818-783-5757.

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