Learning from Lawsuits

In this episode of "Learning from Lawsuits," we delve into a medical malpractice case involving a woman in her late 50s presenting with the worst headache of her life, intermittent vision loss, and confusion. Despite her alarming symptoms, she was discharged with a diagnosis of conversion disorder. Less than 24 hours later, she returned to the ER with an occipital stroke, leading to a lawsuit against the emergency physician and sta...

Welcome to the latest episode of the Learning from Lawsuits podcast, where hosts Katie Wyatt and Dr. Charles Pilcher delve into the intricate world of medical malpractice with a focus on real cases that offer valuable learning experiences for healthcare providers. In this episode, they discuss a peculiar case involving a failed urethral catheterization in a 47-year-old male patient with acute urinary retention. The case sheds light...

In this eye-opening episode of "Learning from Lawsuits," we dive into a complex case where a seemingly minor issue with a contact lens was misdiagnosed as a stroke or migraine, leading to a legal battle. Follow the journey of a woman whose persistent eye pain was misunderstood by multiple healthcare professionals, resulting in a drastic deterioration of her vision.

Join us as we dissect the miscommunications and cognitive biases th...

In today's episode we discuss the story of a man who fell off a ladder, landed on his knee, and walked—or so he thought—into an ER for what seemed to be a straightforward injury. He was diagnosed with a muscle tear… but just three days later, he underwent an above-the-knee amputation.

What went wrong? Could it have been prevented? And most importantly—how do we as clinicians, nurses, and providers ensure we never miss something so ...

It started with a simple ankle injury. A young man sought care for what seemed like a routine contusion, but his provider suspected cellulitis—and that’s where things took a disastrous turn. What followed was a cascade of missteps that ultimately led to a colectomy and a grueling seven-week hospital stay.

Where did things go wrong? Could this outcome have been prevented? In this episode, we dissect the key moments in his care, iden...

Your clinical judgment doesn’t have to be perfect—but your documentation needs to be. When a lawsuit arises, your notes become your defense. If you didn’t document it, you didn’t think about it—at least in the eyes of the law.

In this episode, we break down why thorough medical decision-making documentation is crucial, how it can mean the difference between a defensible case and a devastating lawsuit, and practical tips to ensure y...

A patient came in with back pain—something we see every day in healthcare. But this case was different. Despite multiple visits and misdiagnoses, the true cause remained hidden until it was too late. By the time her spinal epidural abscess was discovered, irreversible damage had been done, leaving her quadriplegic for life.

In this episode, we dive deep into her story—what went wrong, the red flags that were missed, and the critica...

In this episode of Medical Malpractice Insights: Learning from Lawsuits, we discuss the heartbreaking case of a 16-year-old male who died of lymphoblastic lymphoma just two days after being discharged from the emergency department. What warning signs were missed? What could have been done differently? We examine the key takeaways from this case to help healthcare providers recognize red flags, improve clinical decision-making, and ...

In this episode of Medical Malpractice Insights: Learning from Lawsuits, we examine the heartbreaking case of a patient who waited over two hours in an emergency department waiting room—only to be found unresponsive and eventually declared dead. We break down what went woefully wrong, the critical failures in triage and patient monitoring, and how emergency departments can implement simple yet effective changes to prevent tragedies...