Noteboom The Law Firm

New Report Details a History of Medical Malpractice in the VA

A few weeks ago, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear a case based on medical malpractice issues within the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Weeks later, more information was discovered about a pattern of problems with the VA tied to medical malpractice.

Apparently the VA has had a problem obtaining informed consents. Additionally, they have caused veterans to suffer unacceptable delays in both diagnosis and treatments. Because of these problems, and others, the VA has had to pay out multiple malpractice payouts, some worth more than $1 million.

The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) recently released a spreadsheet detailing such VA information. Using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), POGO also discovered more information the VA would likely not have released.

According to POGO's April 29, 2011 "watchdog" publication, the VA incurred more than 12,000 claims between 1989 and 2008. Of those, "several thousand" were rooted in medical malpractice issues. At least 16 medical malpractice cases resulted in the VA paying more than $1 million each, according to the spreadsheet.

Clinical negligence is only one the many claims leveled against the VA. One of the most long-standing complaints is the incredible amount of bureaucracy the VA implements in everything it does. In the interest of disclosure, the VA has hired a long-time VA critic to blog about all the VA issues as he sees fit.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.