When the acts of one person lead to deaths or injuries of others, questions of possible civil liability are a logical consequence. One of those questions addresses the extent of liability: that is, how people other than the person alleged to have proximately caused the harm may also be partly responsible for what happened. Events in the wake of the 2012 massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, show how the question of secondary liability can extend to others who, at least ostensibly, had no part in causing the immediate suffering of the victims.
Can a doctor be liable for failing to diagnosis a disease?
Doctors are trained to diagnose patients based on a number of factors, including symptoms, past medical history, family history, and the physical exam. Doctors use these factors to come up with something called a “differential diagnosis,” which is a list of possible diagnoses or causes of the patients’ symptoms. While most doctors do their best to properly diagnose patients, sometimes they miss the mark. In fact, a failed diagnosis is the most common source of medical malpractice claims against primary care physicians.
Finding treatment for Alzheimer’s without causing brain trauma
Not remembering the name of the person you met just a few minutes ago or constantly searching for the car keys you had in your hand only moments ago are normal occurrences of the fast-paced lives most people lead. For older New Haven, Connecticut, residents, forgetfulness could signal the onset of a much more serious situation than merely a fast-paced life.
Risks to mother and child inherent in cesarean deliveries
Cesarean births are becoming increasingly commonplace in American medical practice; more than a quarter of all childbirth deliveries are now performed using this procedure, which is accomplished by cutting through the mother's abdominal wall. As such, a cesarean birth is a surgical procedure, and any surgery involves risks. In the case of a cesarean delivery, the risks apply to both the mother and child.
