San Jose Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog

The following blog entry is written from a defendant’s position as trial approaches. Reviewing this kind of briefing should help potential plaintiffs and clients better understand how parties in personal injury cases present such issues to the court.

(Please note: the names and locations of all parties have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the participants in this medical malpractice case and its proceedings.)

It is worth noting that situations similar to those described in this medical negligence case could just as easily occur at any of the healthcare facilities in the area, such as Kaiser Permanente, Regional Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, or O’Connor Hospital.

Plaintiff's Complaint is Uncertain Because There Are No Facts to Support a Cause of Action for Unfair Business Practices

Business & Professions Code §17200 (aka Unfair Competition Law or UCL ) prohibits unfair competition, which includes any unlawful, unfair or fraudulent business act or practice and unfair, deceptive, untrue or misleading advertising and any act prohibited by Chapter 1 (commencing with section 17500) of Part 3 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code. An unfair business act occurs if it offends an established public policy or when the practice is immoral, unethical, oppressive, unscrupulous, or substantially injurious to consumers. To plead Business & Professions Code §17200, plaintiff must state with reasonable particularity facts to support the statutory elements of the violation. Khoury v. Malv's of California, Inc. (1993) 14 Cal.App.4th 612.

Here, plaintiff's complaint, at page 5, sets forth a claim titled Unfair Business Practices and alleges that plaintiff's allegations as set forth before and general allegations below constitute the facts in support of this claim. For more information you are welcome to contact San Jose personal injury lawyer, Moseley Collins.

Continue reading " San Jose Healthcare Facility's Negligence Results In Patient's Wrongful Death, Part 5 of 6 " »

The following blog entry is written from a defendant’s position as trial approaches. Reviewing this kind of briefing should help potential plaintiffs and clients better understand how parties in personal injury cases present such issues to the court.

(Please note: the names and locations of all parties have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the participants in this medical malpractice case and its proceedings.)

It is worth noting that situations similar to those described in this medical negligence case could just as easily occur at any of the healthcare facilities in the area, such as Kaiser Permanente, Regional Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, or O’Connor Hospital.

Plaintiff's Complaint for Professional Negligence is Barred by the Statute of Limitations.

A complaint is subject to a demurrer under Code of Civil Procedure § 430.10, subparagraph (e), if the facts alleged in the complaint and matters of which the court is entitled to take judicial notice show the action is barred by the statute of limitations. Iverson, Yoakum, Papiano & Hatch v. Berwald (1999) 76 Cal.App.4th 990, 995; Basin Construction Corp. v. Department of Water & Power (1988) 199 Cal.App.3d 819, 823. For more information you are welcome to contact San Jose personal injury lawyer, Moseley Collins.

The statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims is set out in Code of Civil Procedure §340.5. It provides, in pertinent part:

In an action for injury or death by a health care provider based upon such person's alleged professional negligence, the time for the commencement of action shall be three years after the date of injury or one year after the plaintiff discovers, or through use of reasonable diligence should have discovered, the injury, whichever occurs first. C.C.P. §340.5. (emphasis added)

Continue reading " San Jose Woman's Son Files Malpractice Action Against Hospital, Part 4 of 6 " »

The following blog entry is written from a defendant’s position as trial approaches. Reviewing this kind of briefing should help potential plaintiffs and clients better understand how parties in personal injury cases present such issues to the court.

(Please note: the names and locations of all parties have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the participants in this medical malpractice case and its proceedings.)

It is worth noting that situations similar to those described in this medical negligence case could just as easily occur at any of the healthcare facilities in the area, such as Kaiser Permanente, Regional Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, or O’Connor Hospital.

LEGAL ARGUMENTS

Plaintiff's Complaint is Uncertain Because the Facts Support Only a Cause of Action for Professional Negligence and Not for General Negligence

California Code of Civil Procedure §430.10 provides, in pertinent part:
The party against whom a complaint...has been filed may object, by demurrer ... to the pleading on any one or more of the following grounds:
(e) The pleading does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action.
(f) The pleading is uncertain. As used in this subdivision, uncertain includes ambiguous and unintelligible. For more information you are welcome to contact San Jose personal injury lawyer, Moseley Collins.

A demurrer may be taken to the entire complaint or to any of the causes of action stated in the complaint. Code Civ. Proc. §430.50. For the purposes of testing the sufficiency of the cause of action, the demurrer assumes all material facts alleged in the complaint to be true. Serrano v. Priest (1971) 5 Cal.3d 584, 591, cert denied, 432 U.S. 907.

Continue reading " San Jose Family Files Medical Malpractice Suit Against Physicians, Part 3 of 6 " »

The following blog entry is written from a defendant’s position as trial approaches. Reviewing this kind of briefing should help potential plaintiffs and clients better understand how parties in personal injury cases present such issues to the court.

(Please note: the names and locations of all parties have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the participants in this medical malpractice case and its proceedings.)

It is worth noting that situations similar to those described in this case could just as easily occur at any of the healthcare facilities in the area, such as Kaiser Permanente, Regional Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, or O’Connor Hospital.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

Pro per plaintiff Vernon Hill filed his complaint on May 11, 2009, alleging wrongful death relating to the treatment and care defendant provided to his mother and decedent, Abigail Hill. According to plaintiff, defendant NMC's treatment on various days in 2006 resulted in plaintiff's mother's death. The date of death is not alleged. Plaintiff alleges that he is the surviving heirs (sic) at law of decedent. Plaintiff does not identify his relationship with the decedent although defendant understands she was his mother. Plaintiff does not identify others who may have standing, nor does he state that he is the only person with standing. For more information you are welcome to contact San Jose personal injury lawyer, Moseley Collins.

COMPLAINT ALLEGATIONS

Plaintiff's cause of action titled General Negligence alleges various facts regarding the care and treatment rendered to decedent by NMC. Plaintiff then alleges that NMC's negligent conduct led to decedent's pain and suffering and death.

Continue reading " Medical Negligence By San Jose Doctors Results In Patient's Death, Part 2 of 6 " »

The following blog entry is written from a defendant’s position as trial approaches. Reviewing this kind of briefing should help potential plaintiffs and clients better understand how parties in personal injury cases present such issues to the court.

(Please note: the names and locations of all parties have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the participants in this medical malpractice case and its proceedings.)

It is worth noting that situations similar to those described in this case could just as easily occur at any of the healthcare facilities in the area, such as Kaiser Permanente, Regional Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, or O’Connor Hospital.

Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of Defendant National Medical Center's Demurrer

INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff's complaint is based on the medical care provided to his mother and decedent, Abigail Hill, by defendants. Plaintiff alleges defendants' negligent medical care resulted in his mother's death.

The demurrer of National Medical Center to plaintiff's complaint and its causes of action should be sustained without leave to amend for the following reasons:

The complaint is uncertain. On the first page of the complaint, plaintiff checked boxes indicating causes of action for "Malpractice/Negligence" and "Wrongful Death." On page 3, plaintiff checked boxes indicating causes of action for General Negligence and Unfair Business Practices. For more information you are welcome to contact San Jose personal injury lawyer, Moseley Collins.

Continue reading " San Jose Woman Dies Due To Hospital's Negligence, Part 1 of 6 " »