September 16, 2010 (Press-News.org) Medical professionals often feel they have a reputation to protect, and the best strategy for achieving that goal is adherence to accepted medical standards and treating patients with the respect they deserve. But the recently settled case of a New York bariatric surgeon suggests that sometimes patients' best interests are not the foremost goal, when eliminating a colleague who dissents about medical practices seems more expedient.
Dr. Neelu Pal lost her position at New York University's Medical Center in 2006 after she informed several patients scheduled for weight-loss surgery about a recent death and investigation involving the NYU bariatric program, as well as the multiple complications she had witnessed as a surgeon. Dr. Pal had previously expressed concerns to her superiors about incomplete pre-surgical medical histories for patients and the lack of attending physician coverage for post-operative hospital stays after the patients received gastric-band devices. When the administration learned that Pal had contacted patients, she was immediately suspended, and within a month she was informed of her dismissal from her NYU fellowship.
Dr. Pal filed suit against NYU later in 2006, asserting fraudulent inducement and retaliatory discharge, and her case settled in May 2010 after years of procedural litigation. It may not come as a surprise to learn that she is now studying law. She recently commented to Health Reform Watch, a Web publication of Seton Hall University School of Law's Health Law & Policy Program, on her overlapping professional ambitions: "The law can be used in conjunction with any other field to bring it into greater focus and examine it closely while separating its components."
Green Scrubs and a Thin Blue Line: Patients Sometimes Need Legal Advocates to Uncover the Truth
When patients cannot find clear answers from within the medical profession, many seek legal advice and dedicated advocacy from experienced trial attorneys. A medical malpractice lawyer can help you assess your injury or illness in light of the treatment you received, and explain your potential legal options and prospects for recovery. The technical complexity of these cases demands the steady hand and diverse resources that come with experience and extensive practice in this area of law.
Article provided by The Law Office of Elam & Rousseaux, P.A.
Visit us at www.er-lawfirm.com
Can Doctors Face Retaliation for Protecting Patients?
A bariatric surgeon who lost her job after contacting patients about risks of upcoming procedures is studying to be a lawyer after settling a wrongful termination lawsuit against her former employer.
2010-09-16
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Your Legal Rights Following a Crane Accident
2010-09-16
On March 15, 2008, a 22-story crane collapsed on East 51st Street in Manhattan, killing seven people. A little over two months later, a second crane collapsed at an Upper East Side construction site, leaving two dead, including the 30-year-old crane operator.
These two crane accidents have been at the center of multiple investigations, civil lawsuits and criminal charges against those believed to be responsible for the catastrophes.
Rigging contractor William Rapetti was one of the individuals facing criminal charges for his role in the East 51st Street collapse. ...
Pennsylvania Court Considers Legal Justification for Drunk Driving
2010-09-16
A recent Pennsylvania appellate court decision involved a rarely implemented defense in a DUI/DAI case. In Commonwealth v. Clouser, the Pennsylvania Superior Court considered whether a driver was justified in fleeing danger in his vehicle even though he was intoxicated. While the trial court had denied the defendant's request to argue justification, the Superior Court held that he should have been allowed to present this defense.
Appellant Michael Allan Clouser was out at a Franklin County tavern in June of 2009 with his girlfriend. Clouser admitted at trial that he ...
Pennsylvania Field Sobriety Testing
2010-09-16
In Pennsylvania, an officer often conducts field sobriety testing prior to asking a driver to submit to a roadside breath test and making an arrest, whether the driver is suspected of intoxication during a traffic stop, sobriety checkpoint or saturation patrol. In October 2008, Pennsylvania began the Checkpoint Strikeforce Initiative, which requires each of the 15 regional state police troops to conduct random sobriety tests of drivers on most weekends. The State Police Commissioner noted that the program contributed to a record number of DUI arrests that year.
Standardized ...
The Confrontation Clause: New Meaning for The Twenty-First Century
2010-09-16
Any person accused of a crime in the United States has the right "to be confronted with the witnesses against him." It is one of the fundamental protections of the U.S. Constitution, written into the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment and guaranteed since the Bill of Rights took effect in 1791. However, our understanding of this right has evolved with time.
Last year in the case of Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts, the U.S. Supreme Court considered the protections of the Confrontation Clause with regard to the introduction of forensic evidence in a trial.
Prior ...
The Pressure is On: Medical Professionals Standing Up For Patient Rights
2010-09-16
Medical Whistleblowers and the Sovereign Immunity Roadblock
The heroic actions of two individuals recently brought the little town of Kermit, Texas, into the limelight. Two nurses at Winkler County Memorial Hospital found themselves in an astonishing situation after reporting suspected ethical violations of a doctor. Not only were they fired but also indicted on felony charges. Both nurses beat the indictments and later settled a civil lawsuit against the hospital, but the unexpected scenario has sparked public debate about laws protecting medical whistleblowers.
Anne ...
Shorter Sentences for Viewing Child Porn
2010-09-16
Worried parents and law enforcement officials are driving an increase in child pornography cases across the U.S. Sentences for viewing child porn range from probation to 20 years in prison, but judges are leaning toward lower sentences.
The Wall Street Journal analyzed four years of data and found a significant reduction in jail time. In 2006, about 20 percent of child porn possession and distribution cases brought sentences that fell below federal guidelines. By 2009, more than 40 percent of sentences brought such sentences, according to the Journal. In the same period, ...
Common Defenses to Workers' Compensation Claims in Pennsylvania
2010-09-16
When a worker is injured on the job, the workers' compensation system is intended to ensure that the worker receives the medical treatment necessary to recover and financial support for the resulting time away from work. However, this compensation is ultimately provided by an insurance company -- and insurance companies generally seek to avoid paying out claims when possible. Accordingly, these companies rely on a number of common, well-established defenses to avoid paying claims.
Workers' compensation claims fall into two categories: accidental-injury claims and occupational-disease ...
Debenhams Breaks New Ground with National Disabled Model Campaign
2010-09-16
Debenhams has become the first retailer on the British high street to launch a national window campaign featuring a disabled model in all of its 160 stores in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
The ground breaking imagery features disabled model Shannon Murray, along with additional photography, mannequins and products in a display to launch the Debenhams autumn winter womenswear.
The innovative display follows an approach by Nikki Fox and Natasha Wood, both disability campaigners and presenters of the hit TV show, How to Look Good Naked, which led to a trial using ...
npower Celebrates 'Consumer Supplier of the Year' Award Win
2010-09-16
npower is celebrating after being presented with 'The Consumer Supplier of the Year' award at the first ever Energy Event Awards. The award recognises the supplier that has excelled in providing industrial and commercial consumers with an outstanding service, product or innovation.
The awards are a new addition to the annual Energy Event, which took place at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham on 8-9th September 2010. The awards recognise and reward achievements in the energy industry, celebrating the suppliers and businesses that are bringing new ideas and ...
Door2Tour.com Launches 2011 Events Programme
2010-09-16
Door2Tour.com has launched its range of popular events for 2011 with a selection of breaks available, incorporating flower shows, sporting events, concerts and exhibitions. The latest programme now includes trips to over 30 events throughout the UK alone, offering traditional events like the Edinburgh Tattoo, Chelsea Flower Show and Wimbledon among newcomers like the NBA Basketball, National Brass Band Championships, Cirque du Soleil and Barry Manilow in concert.
Fresh from a hugely successful year for events where sales were up 37% on 2009, and with sales for events ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
These giant, prehistoric salmon had tusk-like teeth
New study infers our wellbeing by analyzing the language we use around ageing, using language markers to enable "a different type of access to individuals’ inner worlds"
New research confirms plastic production is directly linked to plastic pollution
MSU researchers uncover 'parallel universe' in tomato genetics
Grey cuckoo, red cuckoo: unveiling the genomic secrets of color polymorphism in female cuckoo birds
CHOP researchers discover underlying biology behind Fontan-associated liver disease
A flexible microdisplay can monitor brain activity in real-time during brain surgery
Diversity and productivity go branch-in-branch
Color variants in cuckoos: the advantages of rareness
Laser technology offers breakthrough in detecting illegal ivory
Why can’t robots outrun animals?
After spinal cord injury, neurons wreak havoc on metabolism
Network model unifies recency and central tendency biases
Ludwig Lausanne scientists identify and show how to target a key tumor defense against immune attack
Can climate change accelerate transmission of malaria? Pioneering research sheds light on impacts of temperature
A new attempt to identify salt gland development and salt resistance genes of Limonium bicolor ——Identification of bHLH gene family and its function analysis in salt gland development
The SAPIENS Podcast named finalist at the 16th Annual Shorty Awards
Startup financing gender gaps greater in societies where women are more empowered
Postpartum depression after adolescent stress shows a dysregulated HPA axis: a cross-species translational study
When studies conflict: building a decision-support system for clinicians
Artificial sweetener has potential to damage gut
Gene-based therapy restores cellular development and function in brain cells from people with Timothy syndrome
MD Anderson Research Highlights for April 24, 2024
Child pedestrians, self-driving vehicles: What’s the safest scenario for crossing the road?
Mount Sinai researchers the first to apply single-cell analysis to reveal mechanisms of a common complication of Crohn’s disease
Scientists unveil genetics behind development of gliding
Safety of ancestral monovalent COVID-19 vaccines in children
Reversals in the decline of heart failure mortality in the US
Recreational marijuana laws and teen marijuana use, 1993-2021
Manchester scientists found novel one-dimensional superconductor
[Press-News.org] Can Doctors Face Retaliation for Protecting Patients?A bariatric surgeon who lost her job after contacting patients about risks of upcoming procedures is studying to be a lawyer after settling a wrongful termination lawsuit against her former employer.