BACKGROUND CONTEXT Results of lumbar fusion surgery have been mixed and procedures are costly. Interbody cage lumbar fusion (ICLF) has been advanced to improve arthrodesis and clinical outcomes; however, little attention has been given to ICLF costs or potential predictors of these expenses. PURPOSE To depict medical and compensation costs associated with ICLF in a Utah cohort of patients rec...

Prospective clinical assessment of suicidality differs significantly from that used retrospectively in malpractice litigation. In the latter context, the judge or jury may be susceptible to hindsight reasoning and a disproportionate emphasis on the specific method of suicide, exaggerating its foreseeability and "magically" linking the means of death to the treating clinician, especially in the ...

Multidistrict litigation procedures have grown in significance as an important tool for resolving large-scale litigation. Indeed, in recent years, various reports have noted that from one third to one half of all cases in the federal courts are part of MDL proceedings.1 From the defendants’ perspective, consolidation in a federal MDL proceeding may make nationwide litigation more manageable. Fr...

OBJECTIVES Neonatal hypoglycaemia is a potential cause of neonatal morbidity, and on rare but tragic occasions causes long-term neurodevelopmental harm with consequent emotional and practical costs for the family. The organisational cost to the NHS includes the cost of successful litigation claims. The purpose of the review was to identify themes that could alert clinicians to common pitfalls a...