Medical Malpractice

A hospital should be a place of healing and recovery, and doctors and nurses should act as the protectors of our physical well-being. Frequently, though, the opposite is the case.

According to the Institute of Medicine, as many as 98,000 people die each year from preventable medical errors. In 2008, there were 1,602 medical malpractice suits filed in Pennsylvania alone. A doctor misdiagnoses a patient by failing to see a dark mass of cancerous tissue on an X-ray. A surgeon permanently damages a patient’s nerve while performing an unrelated surgery. An obstetrician fails to deliver a baby in a timely manner, resulting in the infant’s lifelong cerebral palsy. A nurse administers a patient the incorrect dose of medicine, resulting in the patient’s death.

At Berger & Lagnese, we believe that you should feel safe in your hospital and in the hands of medical professionals. Our job is to ensure that incompetent doctors are barred from practicing and that hospitals and maternity wards are places of mending and new life instead of places where you have to worry about you and your loved one’s safety.

Many times, the consequences of medical malpractice are irreversible. Nothing can undo the years of life lost due to a missed diagnosis or the lowered quality of life caused by a brain injury that could have been prevented – and nothing can undo your pain and mental anguish or the death of a loved one.

Even though some injuries are irreversible, we will help you obtain the financial support needed to  repair the damage done to you and your family and to help you live your life as fully as possible with your injuries. Filing a lawsuit is important not only to obtain money to cover your medical needs and to make up for your pain and suffering, but also to ensure that the health care worker or hospital that is responsible for your injuries will not harm someone else.

According to the Institute of Medicine, the majority of medical errors go unreported, by both the patients who suffer from them and the doctors who commit them. This silence not only damages the quality of our healthcare system, but also prevents those who are injured from being awarded the financial support they need to live with the injuries and disabilities suffered due to medical malpractice.

Many lawyers will take on medical malpractice cases, but our team of lawyers specialize in them. With a 40-year tradition of handling and winning medical malpractice cases, we understand what it takes to collect evidence, locate the top medical experts, and organize a solid foundation of proof that wrongdoing occurred.



If you have been injured due to the negligent care of a doctor, nurse, or hospital in Western Pennsylvania, you should be compensated for your injuries. Chances are that you have ongoing medical expenses and disabilities resulting from their medical mistake, and it may be that the health professional or institution that was careless with your safety is now endangering the safety of others.

Although we handle a wide range of medical malpractice cases, we specialize in the following areas:

• Birth Injuries and Cerebral Palsy
• Failure to Diagnose Cancer and Other Diseases
• Surgical Mistakes
• Misdiagnosis
• Pulmonary Embolism
  
  

Our attorneys have worked on medical malpractice cases involving numerous hospitals, including the UPMC Hospitals, Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), Alle-Kiski Medical Center, Allegheny Valley Hospital, Altoona Hospital, Beaver Medical Center (Heritage Valley Beaver), Bedford Hospital, Bon Secours Hospital, Conemaugh Hospital, Butler Hospital, Children's Hospital, Clarion Hospital, Conemaugh Hospital, Excela Hospitals, Westmoreland Hospital, Frick Hospital, Hamot Hospital, Highlands Hospital, Indiana Hospital, Jameson Hospital, Jeannette Hospital, Jefferson Hospital, Lee Hospital (UPMC Lee), Magee Womens Hospital, Mercy Hospital (UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh), Mill Creek Hospital (Erie, PA), Mon Valley Hospital, Passavant Hospital (UPMC Passavant), Presbyterian Hospital "Presby" (UPMC Presby), Sewickley Hospital (Heritage Valley Sewickley), Shadyside Hospital (UPMC Shadyside), Sharon Hospital, UPMC Southside Hospital, St. Clair Hospital, St. Margaret's Hospital (UPMC St. Margaret), St. Vincents Hospital, Suburban General Hospital, Uniontown Hospital, Washington Hospital, and many others.

We work on breast cancer cases involving breast cancer missed on mammogram or breast cancer misdiagnosis.  These cases also include situations where breast tissue was removed for biopsy but the cancer was missed when it was evaluated.

We work on colon cancer cases including those in which colon cancer was missed on colonoscopy or a colon polyp was not properly evaluated after its removal.

We work on cases involving cervical cancer and endometrial (uterus) cancer, especially cases in which cervical cancer was missed on the Pap smear (Pap test).

We work on many medical malpractice cases involving a doctor's or hospital's failure to detect cancer or misdiagnosis of cancer, including bladder cancer, lung cancer, thyroid cancer, and skin and melanoma cancers. 

We work on failure to diagnose cases, including the failure to diagnose and treat heart attack, pulmonary embolism (PE), stroke, aneurysm (abdominal and brain aneurysms), and many others.

Our lawyers also work on cerebral palsy cases.  Each year, 5,000 infants and 1,200-1,500 toddlers are diagnosed with cerebral palsy – and many of these cases are due to preventable delays and careless mistakes made during birth and delivery. 

Our lawyers work on many cases of surgical error or surgical mistake, including hernia surgery, gall bladder surgery, gastric bypass (bariatric weight loss) surgery, carpal tunnel surgery, and all types of laparoscopic surgery cases

To talk with our team of attorneys about your case or to consult with a board certified physician on our staff, please call us at (412) 471-4300, toll free at (800) 350-6161, or email us. There are laws in place that protect you in these situations, and by working together, we can protect your safety.

Pittsburgh, Beaver, Uniontown, Greensburg, New Castle, Altoona, Erie, Butler, Mercer, Franklin, Allegheny, Fayette, Westmoreland, Washington, Johnstown, Lawrence, Blair, and Verango.

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Blog for Medical Malpractice

• Cardiologist Inserts Hundreds of Unnecessary Heart Stents
• Deadly medical errors more common than previously estimated
• Gallbladder surgery malpractice: patient recovers confidential settlement
• Acute headache may be a medical emergency
• CT scans of brain -- radiation overdoses under investigation
• Risk of cardiac events after invasive dental procedures
• Emergency room malpractice: $2.35 million verdict for injured patient
• Misdiagnosis led to whooping cough deaths
• Women Should Be Given Antibiotics Within One Hour Before Caesarian Delivery
• Family Sues Minnesota Hospital -- Patient Dies After Falling Off Operating Table
• Hospital delay in administering angioplasty to heart attack patients almost doubles death rate
• Temporary Agencies Often Employ Incompetent Nurses
• Errors at Doctors' Offices
• Death from Stroke While Hospitalized for Heart Attack
• Early Detection of Prostate Cancer with ProPSA Testing
• Patients should be screened for sepsis after surgery, say researchers
• High blood pressure drug's link to increased cancer risk studied
• Choline found to be an essential prenatal nutrient
• Deciding on best prostate cancer treatment options
• Cardiologists may be misinterpreting echocardiograms

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Library for Medical Malpractice:

• Named Best Medical Malpractice Lawyers in America, Berger & Lagnese have extensive experience and proven success in medical malpractice cases against UPMC hospitals and other UPMC facilities or doctors. We will investigate your case at no cost to you.   
  Are you the victim of medical malpractice at a UPMC hospital or other facility? Do you want to find out what really happened and who is responsible? Don't keep wondering. Our attorneys and doctors will find out what happened. For a free investigation and evaluation, contact Berger & Lagnese, the premier medical malpractice law firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• UPMC St. Margaret Key Statistics [PDF]   
  St. Margaret (UPMC) hospital key facts including death rates, cost of procedures, and infection and complication rates from the PA Healthcare Cost Containment Council (2009).
• UPMC Shadyside Hospital Key Statistics [PDF]   
  UPMC Shadyside facts including mortality rates, cost of procedures, and infection and complication rates from the PA Healthcare Cost Containment Council (2009).
• UPMC McKeesport Hospital Key Statistics [PDF]   
  UPMC McKeesport facts including mortality rates, cost of procedures, and infection and complication rates from the PA Healthcare Cost Containment Council (2009).
• UPMC Mercy Hospital Key Statistics [PDF]   
  UPMC Mercy facts including mortality rates, cost of procedures, and infection and complication rates from the PA Healthcare Cost Containment Council (2009).
• UPMC Passavant Key Statistics [PDF]   
  UPMC Passavant facts including mortality rates, cost of procedures, and infection and complication rates from the PA Healthcare Cost Containment Council (2009).
• The Facts About Meningitis: Bacterial, Viral and Fungal   
  Meningitis involves inflammation of the brain. Depending on the type of meningitis, it can be a medical emergency and can result in serious injuries or death. If there is any suspicion of meningitis, tests should be done so that treatment can be started if necessary. This short article gives the facts about the three kinds of meningitis including signs, symptoms, treatment, and causes.
• Essential facts you need to know about preeclampsia and high blood pressure in pregnancy.   
  Information you need to know about preeclampsia, including causes, tests, blood pressure levels, signs and symptoms, treatment options, effects on mother's health and effect on fetal and infant health.
• Should My Cancer Have Been Diagnosed Sooner? Four Reasons You Should Get Answers Now.   
  If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with cancer or any other serious illness, you may have questioned the timing of the diagnosis. Would an earlier diagnosis have made the outcome better? Should your doctors have found the disease sooner? You deserve answers to these questions. Find out the four reasons you should get answers right now.
• Named Best Medical Malpractice Lawyers in America, Berger & Lagnese have great experience and success on medical malpractice cases against Brownsville General Hospital. We will investigate your case at no cost to you.   
  Do you have a medical malpractice case against Brownsville General Hospital or Brownsville Tri-County Hospital? We will get your medical records, hire the top experts and find out what really happened. All at no cost to you.
• Named Best Medical Malpractice Lawyers in America. We have great experience and success with pulmonary embolism cases. We will investigate your pulmonary embolism case at no cost to you.   
  Pulmonary embolism, or PE, is the third most common cause of death in hospitalized patients. PE can cause death, or serious damage to your lungs, and is considered a medical emergency. If PE is not treated immediately, most patients die, and very unfortunately, the diagnosis is often missed because the proper tests for diagnosis are not ordered.
• Everything You Need To Know About Brain Aneurysms III   
  1 in 15 people in the United States will develop a brain aneurysm during their lifetime. This article will tell you some of the things you need to know about brain aneurysms, what causes them, the signs and symptoms of brain aneurysms, and how they are diagnosed and treated.
• Everything You Need To Know About Brain Aneurysms II   
  1 in 15 people in the United States will develop a brain aneurysm during their lifetime. This article will tell you some of the things you need to know about brain aneurysms, what causes them, the signs and symptoms of brain aneurysms, and how they are diagnosed.
• Everything You Need To Know About Brain Aneurysms I   
  1 in 15 people in the United States will develop a brain aneurysm during their lifetime. This article will tell you some of the things you need to know about brain aneurysms, what causes them, the signs and symptoms of brain aneurysms, and how they are diagnosed.
• How do you know if you've been the victim of medical malpractice in the treatment of your brain aneurysm? This article tells you what to look for when grading the quality of your brain aneurysm medical care. Don't let yourself be the silent victim of medical malpractice. Take legal action to protect yourself and others.   
  As many as 50% of ruptured brain aneurysm cases go undetected by doctors every day. Here is what you need to know to find out whether you've been the victim of medical malpractice in the treatment of your ruptured brain aneurysm.
• Named Best Medical Malpractice Lawyers in America. We will investigate your medical malpractice case at no cost to you.   
  Free information about Canonsburg Hospital and medical malpractice cases, including failure to diagnose and treat heart attack, cancer, x-ray mistakes, breast cancer, cervical cancer, cerebral palsy, colon cancer, labor and delivery malpractice, surgical mistakes, and more.
• Did you have preeclampsia while you were pregnant? Did your doctor or hospital fail to diagnose or treat it until it was too late? Did you or your child suffer injuries as a result? For a free consultation, see the medical malpractice attorneys of Pennsylvania.   
  Order our FREE book - The 9 Biggest Mistakes Made by Your Gynecologist! Your safety is at stake! Studies show that between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans die due to preventable medical errors each year – and that the majority of medical malpractice instances go unreported by both health officials and patients. If your doctor failed to diagnose or treat your preeclampsia, Berger & Lagnese can help.
• Named Best Lawyers in America for medical malpractice law. We will investigate your case at no cost to you.   
  Are you the victim of medical malpractice while you were in the hospital? Do you want to find out what really happened during your stay in the Hospital? Don't keep wondering what happened. Our attorneys and doctors will find out what happened. For a free investigation and evaluation, contact Berger & Lagnese, the premier medical malpractice law firm in Pennsylvania.
• Compartment Syndromes   
  Did you get a compartment syndrome? Do you have permanent nerve or muscle damage? Get a free evaluation of your case from the Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorneys.
• Gall bladder Surgery Study Finds Bile Duct and Bowel Injuries   
  Free investigation of your gall bladder surgery case. Specializing in medical malpractice cases. Top medical experts. Selected "Best Lawyers in America".

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Frequent Questions for Medical Malpractice:

• Should I get anautopsy, if I thinkthere was medical malpractice?
• How much time do I have to file a medical malpractice case (lawsuit)?
• What is medical malpractice?
• Are there special rules that apply only to medical malpractice cases?

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Case Results for Medical Malpractice:

• Paul Lagnese obtains $10,000,000 verdict against UPMC.

Awarded: $10,000,000

• $1.8 Million Jury Verdict in Erie, Pennsylvania for Failure to Diagnose Lung Cancer

Awarded: $1,800,000

• $3,200,000 Final Judgement Paid by UPMC Shadyside

Awarded: $3,200,000

• Gall Bladder Surgery Doctor Cuts Bile Duct Medical Malpractice

Awarded: Confidential Settlement

• Breast Cancer Failure to Correlate Mammogram and Ultrasound

Awarded: Confidential Settlement

• Failure to Diagnose Sarcoidosis

Awarded: Confidential

• Woman at Nursing Home Gets Bedsores and Dies-Medical Malpractice

Awarded: Confidential

• Hospital Fails to Keep Bedrails Raised; Woman Falls Breaks Hip and Dies-Medical Malpractice

Awarded: Confidential

• Cervical Cancer Not Seen on Pap Smear - Medical Malpractice

Awarded: Confidential

• Laparoscopic Inguinal Surgery Cuts Vein - Medical Malpractice

Awarded: Confidential

• Colon Cancer Not Diagnosed on X-Ray - Medical Malpractice

Awarded: Confidential

• Colon Cancer Not Diagnosed after Colonoscopy - Medical Malpractice

Awarded: Confidential

• Laparoscopic Hernia Surgery Causes Death

Awarded: Confidential

• $450,000 Jury Verdict in Beaver for Injuring Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve Duing Back Surgery-Medical Malpractice

Awarded: $450,000

• Endometrial (Uterus) Cancer Not Diagnosed by Gynecologist - Medical Malpractice

Awarded: Confidential

• Brain Tumor Misdiagnosis - Medical Malpractice

Awarded: Confidential

• Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis on Mammogram - Medical Malpractice

Awarded: Confidential

• Hospital's Failure to Remove Foreign Bodies Caused Woman's Hysterectomy

Awarded: Confidential

• Cataract Surgery Opthalmologist Used the Wrong Lens-Medical Malpractice

Awarded: Confidential

• Pericardiocentisis Injures Patient's Heart

Awarded: Confidential

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Videos about Medical Malpractice:

• Aortic Dissection of the Ascending Aorta
• A Patient's Guide to Carpal Tunnel Surgery
• Shoulder Dystocia - Software to Reduce Risk
• Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (Gall Bladder removal)
• Laparoscopic Hernia Surgery (Abdominal)
• Surgery to Remove Carotid Body Tumor
• Laparoscopic Roux-en Y Gastric Bypass Surgery
• 3D Animation of Pulmonary Embolism

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Web Resources for Medical Malpractice:

• Allegheny General Hospital
• Altoona Regional Hospital
• Armstrong County Memorial Hospital
• Beaver Medical Center
• Bon Secours Hospital
• Canonsburg General Hospital
• Children's Hospital
• Clarion Hosptial
• Conemaugh Hospital
• Excela Westmoreland Hospital

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