Weston Lawyers Report: Substandard Health Care for Our Veterans?

If you have been following the news of late, you know that the national health care debate is intensifying. While our government officials continue to argue the merits, one sector of our society, a very important sector, is experiencing the debilitating effects of substandard healthcare - our veterans! That's right the people who have fought to preserve our freedom, promote justice and protect the rights that we hold dear are not able to get to the necessary medical attention that they deserve. What's worse, the system that should be taking care of them may be making some of them sick!

In a recent report, it was estimated that as many as 10,000 people may have contracted HIV and hepatitis while undergoing medical procedures in veteran’s hospitals around the country. That is a staggering number. Just after that report another surfaced accusing a veteran’s hospital in Pennsylvania of botching radiation treatments to over 100 cancer patients! What is going on with our veteran’s healthcare system? Who is holding them accountable? Unfortunately these are not the only stories. They're even more personal than this.

Let’s take the case of war veteran Barry Lackro who fought in Vietnam in the early 1970s. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004. At that time he was over 50 years old and was given two options– surgery or radiation. He opted for the brachytherapy seed implant procedure. Brachytherapy is the process of implanting small metal seeds into the prostate. The seeds are used to fight off cancer by releasing radiation. He received these treatments at the same Philadelphia VA that botched the other cancer treatments for veterans in similar circumstances. Recently Lackro filed a lawsuit against the VA for medical malpractice.

At Freedland Russo one of our specialty areas is that of medical malpractice. This is a case that we will be watching closely as it's not a private doctor or their insurance company that is being sued but rather the federal government. Once again we know that the compensatory damages that are received will in no way return health to the victims. However, it will hold our federal government accountable for the treatment of our veterans.