Posts by Jonathan Petty

Patients in Richmond have a right to trust that if they need to go to their nearest emergency room, the ER doctors will make the correct diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment. A misdiagnosis can cause a patient to suffer until the accurate diagnosis is made. A misdiagnosis can also mean that opportunity for necessary treatment…

Fires that occur in the operating room are among the most terrifying and dramatic disasters that can happen during a surgery. Though they are relatively uncommon, there are an average of 650 operating room fires in the U.S. annually, which often cause serious injuries and even death to the helpless patient. Operating fires are preventable…

In a recent criminal case out of Ohio, a former physician was acquitted of 14 counts of murder after allegedly causing the deaths of his patients by ordering excessive amounts of fentanyl. The case was followed with interest by medical experts, legal professionals, doctors and nurses across the country, as the case raised significant questions…

Unless you are a medical professional, you are likely unaware of the term “never event.” Never events in healthcare are exactly what they sound like – events that should never occur; egregious and catastrophic incidents during medical treatment that typically leave a patient permanently injured or disabled, or result in death. Ken Kizer, MD first…

Phelan Petty partners Jonathan M. Petty and Brielle M. Hunt were recognized by Virginia Lawyers Media for securing one of the top verdicts in Virginia for 2021. Their $3 million jury verdict in a fetal death case in Henrico County was listed as #3 for the year. This verdict was the first plaintiff’s verdict in…

Even with years of schooling and training in hospital procedures, medical professionals can still make mistakes. Surgeons, hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers attempt to minimize the risks of surgery and other medical procedures through improved technology and other methods, but errors still happen. When a surgeon or other medical professional injures a patient by making…

Communication errors are a major cause of poor quality care, patient harm, and medical malpractice. Breakdowns in communication among health care providers often lead to a failure to coordinate what each health provider is doing and can cause a patient’s needs to “slip through the cracks.” Miscommunication between a doctor’s office and the patient results…