GI Joe‘s General Hawk, a.k.a. Dennis Quaid, has filed a lawsuit after his twin children experienced an accidental overdose. Sadly, he is not the only celebrity to bring charges of medical malpractice.
GI Joe‘s General Hawk, a.k.a. Dennis Quaid, has filed a lawsuit after his twin children experienced a massive overdose of the drug Heparin because the manufacturer, Baxter Healthcare Corp. (BHC), allegedly packaged the dosages wrong. BHC manufactures products to aid in the treatment of “hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions.” According to recent reports, the Quaids are suing BHC for medical malpractice.
Unfortunately, Quaid is not the only celeb who has experienced the devastating affects of medical negligence. Rapper Kanye West lost his mother in 2007 after a plastic surgery procedure led to her death. Dr. Jan Adams, the surgeon who performed Ms. West’s operation, has since surrendered his medical license, and has since come under scrutiny for two criminal convictions.
Dr. Adams has been arrested multiple times in the past on DUI charges and most recently spent time in court when it was discovered that he had not paid judgment for a previous cosmetic surgery malpractice case.
The doctor continues to proclaim his innocence with regard to Donda West’s death, and the California Medical Board is still investigating the case.
Other examples include the medical malpractice lawsuit filed by the wife of former Dallas Cowboys running back Ron Springs against two Texas doctors she accuses of letting him slip into a coma, leaving him mentally and physically incapacitated, and a case brought by Ed McMahon when doctors failed to take necessary x-rays and diagnose a neck fracture after he fell at a friend’s residence.
Although these cases are all unfortunate, state medical boards and credentialing organizations play a key role in ensuring that practitioners are well-trained and cognizant of best practices. Consumers considering a cosmetic or reconstructive surgery procedure should look for a doctor who is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery to ensure they get the highest quality of care by a doctor who has specific training in these types of procedures.
GERI responded:
There are many, many, many wonderful and excellent doctors. However, if state medical boards truly policed their doctors and got rid of those who were dangerous, inept, or otherwise, patients would suffer significantly less due to medical malpractice and medical negligence. Many of the doctors who are charged and convicted of medical malpractice have an entire history of such behavior, but medical board discipline is lax and transparency as to doctors’ records is cloudy at best.