A Cleveland debt collection agency threatened, harassed and deceived consumers in violation of state and federal law, a lawsuit filed by the Ohio attorney general claims. According to the lawsuit, debt collectors with National Enterprise Systems of Solon used abusive language, failed to verify debts and made unauthorized withdrawals from consumer bank accounts. Officials in West Virginia have also filed a similar lawsuit against the firm.

The Air Force and others are investigating the circumstances that caused a 20-year-old airman to lose both his legs following a routine gallbladder surgery. According to reports, surgeons failed to adequately repair a large artery after nicking it during surgery. The resulting damage to blood vessels in the legs required amputation. Travis Air Force Base’s David Grant Medical Center declined comment except to say that it was investigating a "serious medical incident."

The University of Michigan Health System found that the number of malpractice claims filed against them has been halved, the backlog of open claims reduced, the amount of time to resolve a claim lessened and the costs per claim reduced fifty percent. The health system’s risk officer said the change that brought about these benefits is the practice of apologizing when a mistake is made and offering compensation at that time. Some are skeptical of the practice, fearing that doctors’ admissions of errors will be used against them in court.

With the increase in online sites such RateMDs.com, DrScore and Vitals.com where patients can post reviews of doctors, more doctors are requiring patients to sign forms prohibiting any online posting without their prior approval. The enforceability and ethics of the requirement are debatable, particularly when consumers are tasked with being more informed about their healthcare choices. Critics of the online sites contend they are unreliable because they say only those individuals with bad experiences tend to post.

Recently-passed laws in several states that require hospitals to detail serious injuries reveal the frequency and variety of so-called “never events” which should never happen. In some states the hospitals in which the events occurred are identified, while other states only compile the injuries without revealing the hospital involved. About 20 states now require some level of reporting of hospital-acquired infections or medical errors.

Six doctors failed to notify a patient of a brain tumor despite a MRI showing the tumor, a lawsuit filed Friday alleges. A CT scan performed after the plaintiff had a seizure revealed the tumor, one year after the MRI was taken. Mercy Health Systems and the doctor’s insurers were also named as defendants.

A $1.1 million settlement was reached in a lawsuit over odors from a hog farm built less than 1,000 feet from the home of Ed and Ruth McEowen. According to the suit, the farm operator violated Missouri Department of Natural Resources regulations by failing to obtain construction or operating permits from the agency. The McEowens have lived on their property for 30 years and said after the hog farm was built the stench prevented them from being able to invite anyone to their farm.

Prosecutors have indicted two nurses who complained to state officials about the standard of care provided by a Texas doctor, according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram. The Texas Nurses Association has protested the indictments, saying such actions could have a chilling effect on whistleblowers who seek to expose medical misconduct. The nurses were indicted on charges that they misused official patient records in lodging their complaint with the Texas Medical Board.

A Washington state family injured in a crash with a drunken driver is entitled to $14 million in damages, the state’s highest court has ruled. In reinstating the judgment, the justices held that the family had sufficiently proved "negligent overservice" under state dram shop laws. Most of the award will be used to help care for a child left paraplegic in the crash, an attorney for the family said.

Michigan police say two truck drivers tried to dodge each other to prevent further devastation in an accident in which a car lost control on a Detroit area highway causing a fuel tanker to explode and an overpass to collapse.

Part of Interstate 75 remained closed Thursday morning with debris still smoldering a day after the accident left three drivers with minor injuries. The fire was so intense because the tanker had about 13,000 gallons of fuel.

Trooper Charles Kemp of the Michigan State Policenoted  that a car hit the tanker, separating the cab and trailer. Another truck tried to get out of the tanker’s way and the driver of the tanker also moved to avoid more damage.