Peer review materials occupy a uniquely protected position in litigation. They are created not to document care for external scrutiny, but to enable institutions and professionals to evaluate performance candidly, identify systemic risk, and improve safety without fear that internal critique will later be weaponized in court. This purpose places peer review in tension with […]
Catastrophic injury trials are marked by a complexity that spans beyond the injury itself. It takes the work of expert witnesses to assist the jurors in understanding what happened and why it matters. Without expert testimony, medicine, hospital systems, and neurological injury mechanisms would be mentioned in court without any basis for a jury’s evaluation. […]
Electronic fetal monitoring is designed to provide continuous insight into how a fetus is tolerating labor. Among the various features clinicians evaluate, variability in the fetal heart rate is often one of the most significant. It reflects the interaction between the fetal nervous system and oxygenation status, offering a real-time indicator of physiological stability. Reduced […]
Late decelerations are considered a clear warning sign. Such a pattern is not ambiguous in the way other fetal monitoring features can be. When decelerations recur, they point to a specific physiological concern: the fetus may not be receiving adequate oxygen during contractions. Such a finding calls for attention and, depending on the broader context, […]
When there is a tragic medical outcome, many individuals and families wonder if they have a viable legal claim. Unfortunately, in catastrophic injury litigation, one of the most difficult realities families face is learning that the severe injury may not satisfy legal requirements for medical negligence. Courts distinguish between harm and liability. While an injury […]