Legal News

Stories about physicians and other healthcare professionals involved in lawsuits—as either a plaintiff or a defendant—or accused of breaking the law. Various legal updates or unusual stories in the news may land here.

Over a dozen lawsuits claim Ozempic and Wegovy caused patients to go blind
The lawsuits, filed in multiple states, contend there's a causal link between semaglutide and a rare condition called NAION that leads to diminished eyesight. Plaintiffs want the popular weight-loss drugs to add a warning label.
Nursing homes fined $15M for staffing fraud after guilty verdict
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the judgment, which was issued against two facilities in Pennsylvania. The nursing homes fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid for working hours despite staff not being on the floor.
Patient sues surgeon and Allina Health for allegedly removing the wrong organ during surgery
In court documents, an unnamed Minnesota woman said that in 2022, she was admitted to an Allina Health hospital and scheduled for the removal of her infected spleen, only for an error to result in her left kidney being removed instead.
Lavish kickback scandal costs California health system $32M
Community Health System and Physician Network Advantage, an affiliated technology consultancy firm, were accused of bribing physicians for patient referrals in the form of paid vacations, expensive gifts and business meetings held at strip clubs.
Johnson & Johnson MedTech ordered to pay $147M for antitrust violations
The company told Cardiovascular Business it respectfully disagrees with the jury's decision and is evaluating all possible legal options going forward. The Association of Medical Device Reprocessors, meanwhile, celebrated the news.

ACLU sues North Carolina over illegal detention of mental health patients

A lawsuit filed in federal court claims the state is detaining mentally ill and disabled patients without due process or proper access to treatment.

Psychiatric hospital sued for $150M over ‘encouraging’ fight between juveniles

A new lawsuit claims a 15-year-old girl was used as an enforcer of bad behavior at a psychiatric facility in Michigan, resulting in her severely beating a 10-year-old boy.

An Illinois appellate judge upheld a pervious trial victory that cleared and central Illinois cardiologist Amit Dande, MD, and Prairie Cardiovascular Consults LLP of alleged misdiagnosis of the severity of a patient's heart condition that led to his death prior to a schedule percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Cardiologist sues health system that called him an ‘immediate threat to the public’

The health system, meanwhile, said it stands by its decision to terminate the interventional cardiologist after working with him for several years.

Breached Change Healthcare server lacked multifactor authentication, UnitedHealth CEO admits

UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty told the Senate Finance Committee that systems have been rebuilt “from scratch” in light of the oversight.

Appeals court revives suit alleging radiology practice used nonmedical-grade monitors to submit $6M in false claims

The case dates to June 2019 when whistleblower and Arizona IT executive Eric Stenson first filed suit against Tucson-based Radiology Limited.

money gavel court lawsuit legal judge judgement

Philips settles cases over faulty sleep apnea machines for $1.1B

The litigation stems from a 2023 recall of CPAP machines and ventilators that caused users to inhale pieces of foam during use. The faulty units were linked to at least 561 deaths.

AMGA condemns FTC ban on noncompetes in healthcare

The healthcare employers’ trade group said a nationwide ban on noncompete contracts will stifle investment in new technologies.

Against malpractice for using clinical AI, the best defense is a good offense

If a clinician you care about counts on AI to help make medical decisions, remind them: Tort law principles hold that doing so means risking liability should a patient sue over harm done.

Legal News

Over a dozen lawsuits claim Ozempic and Wegovy caused patients to go blind

Nursing homes fined $15M for staffing fraud after guilty verdict

Patient sues surgeon and Allina Health for allegedly removing the wrong organ during surgery

Lavish kickback scandal costs California health system $32M

Johnson & Johnson MedTech ordered to pay $147M for antitrust violations