A recent AAJ article reports that a petition is pending requesting that the Supreme Court allow active duty military personnel to sue the government. Petty Officer Nathan Hafterson died on March 26, 2006, at Naval Hospital Jacksonville after being admitted for trouble breathing. His attorneys state that it would put military members on the same footing as civilians under the Federal Tort Claims Act. This malpractice action was denied by the lower courts because a federal law (known as the Feres doctrine) prohibits active military members from suing the US government.
“To err is Human”: An unacceptable motto for Hospitals
July 14, 2014
In 2013 210,000 patients died in U.S. hospitals due to medical mistakes. Mistakes that could have been and should have been prevented. It seems that these high numbers exist due to the refrain from the medical community that, “to err is human.”