Sunrise Hospital Vegas_Dr Michael Bradford

Dr. Michael Bradford is an orthopedic surgeon with Nevada Orthopedic & Spine, located at 7455 West Washington Avenue, Suite 160, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

BREAKING NEWS

Another medical malpractice lawsuit filed against Dr. Michael S. Bradford, and Nevada Orthopedic & Spine Center
Ben Reiter vs Nevada Orthopedic & Spine Center and Dr. Michael S. Bradford and Executive Fitness Inc, filed on 01/16/2026.
Medical malpractice lawsuit filed against Dr. Michael S. Bradford, Nevada Orthopedic, and Sunrise Hospital.
Dale Morgan vs Sunrise Mountainview Hospital, Nevada Orthopedic and Spine Center, and Dr. Michael S. Bradford, filed on 11/19/2025.

Patient-125 had hip replacement surgery by Dr. Michael Bradford at Sunrise Hospital in November 2025. The patient acquired a serious infection during surgery, and Dr. Bradford is saying the patient needs another surgery. Dr. Bradford says it is only a skin infection, so why does the patient need another surgery? Is there something else going on?

Update about Patient-16. When her hip dislocated for the 6th time on November 7, she called Dr. Bradford's office for help. The patient was told to get herself checked in at Sunrise Hospital and lay there for two weeks and maybe Dr. Bradford will show up on the 20th to do surgery. The patient needed help right now and could not wait for the uncertain promise that Dr. Bradford would show up in two weeks (and she could not lay in a hospital bed for two weeks waiting for someone to put her hip back in place), so she went to a different hospital and received proper medical care.

He received his medical degree in Canada. He moved to the United States in 1993 and joined Nevada Orthopedic in 1994.

Dr. Bradford does all of his surgeries at Sunrise Hospital. However, his profile appears to be out of date on many websites, saying he does surgeries at other hospitals.

His website says he is certified with the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

It is interesting that he does not mention any other affiliations or memberships. For example, it does NOT say he is a member of the American Medical Association (AMA) or the Nevada Orthopaedic Society (NVOS).

According to his website, he has not published any scientific research papers since 1995 --- no research papers published in the last 30 years.

Dr. Bradford has been Chief of Surgery at Sunrise Hospital for many years. However, if something goes wrong with your surgery, the hospital will notify you immediately that Dr. Bradford is NOT an employee of the hospital. That is interesting because everyone in the surgical unit (on the day of surgery for Patient-1) bragged how Dr. Bradford was the Chief of Surgery.

The employees also bragged that Dr. Bradford was the head of the committee dealing with infection control. That's surprising since Patient-1 acquired two serious infections during surgery on June 17, 2025.

How many other positions does Dr. Bradford hold at Sunrise Hospital?

How many other patients have acquired infections during surgery at Sunrise Hospital? Have these infections been reported as required?

We can look at Candida auris (C. auris) infections, as one example of the high number of infections at Sunrise Hospital. One report shows Sunrise Hospital had the highest number of cases of C. auris infection from 2021-2024, with a total of 1,654 cases -- or 34% of the total for all hospitals in Las Vegas.
In comparison, University Medical Center (UMC) had only 147 cases of C. Auris -- only 3% of the total -- during this same time period.

Hospitals try to defend themselves against medical malpractice by claiming the doctor is NOT an employee

It is common for a hospital to try to defend itself against a medical malpractice claim by asserting that the doctor was an independent contractor (not an employee). However, it is possible to counter this defense with evidence establishing the reality of the doctor-hospital relationship. If the health care provider utilizes facility resources, is subject to control by hospital policies, and has the power to admit, evaluate, and treat patients, the physician is more likely to be viewed as an employee. (It appears that Dr. Bradford meets all of those criteria, in addition to being Chief of Surgery.)

Learn about the horrifying story of Patient-1 and how to prevent this from happening to you and your loved ones

Be sure to read the story of Patient-1 about the surgery by Dr. Michael Bradford at Sunrise Hospital which caused serious damage to her leg and hip.

When you read the horrifying story about what happened to Patient-1, ask yourself these questions:

What if this happened to me or one of my loved ones? Take action now, so it doesn't happen to you. Read this website and spread the word.

Who will help me? Your family and friends.
The media will not help unless you have filed a lawsuit, and elected officials will tell you to file a Complaint with the Nevada Medical Board.
As we have stated several times on this website, NEVER GO ALONE to see a doctor, and do your research.
Dr. Bradford's office, Nevada Orthopedic & Spine, does NOT allow anyone to go into the exam rooms with the patient. You are NOT allowed to take your spouse or family with you. That rule is very suspicious.

How do I choose a good doctor? Talk to everyone you know -- family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, etc. When you are looking at online reviews, focus on the negative reviews, because it is estimated that up to 42% of positive reviews are fake.
If the information on a review website doesn't look right, listen to your instincts. For example, Dr. Bradford has been practicing medicine for 39 years (since 1986), so why does he have only 4 reviews on Yelp?

What can I do to spread the word to prevent this from happening to other people? Share this website (https://www.sunrisehospitalvegas.com) with your families and friends, and post it everywhere on social media.

Why haven't I heard about this story in the news? The media are afraid and/or not allowed to tell these stories. Learn about corporate control of the media.

Here is the headline for the story about Patient-1:

Horrible surgery, nerve block was not given, ongoing pain and suffering, lack of care, surgeon who disappeared after surgery and refused to communicate with the patient or other medical providers, and intentionally obstructed the patient's ability to get medical care at a different orthopedic office by refusing to sign a referral.
And they killed her during surgery by overdosing her on medication. They had to giver her multiple doses of Narcan to try to get her to recover. Then she died and had to be resuscitated.
Nobody in the operating room or in Sunrise Hospital administration informed the patient or her family, and none of the people who were negligent and culpable in this nightmare have taken responsibility or accountability.
The patient is alive today but has not been allowed to see a competent orthopedic surgeon.

Check out the story about Patient-15, another hip replacement surgery by Dr. Michael Bradford, causing long-term pain and suffering. There are similarities to the way he treated Patient-1 (lack of response, no follow-up care, etc.). It is important to note that the story of Patient-15 happened in 2016, and the story of Patient-1 happened in 2025.

Learn about Patient-16 who had hip replacement surgery by Dr. Michael Bradford, causing long-term pain and suffering for the patient. Patient-16 has had 6 dislocations since the surgery, and Dr. Bradford will NOT return calls or provide medical care to the patient. The surgery took place in May 2025, so she has been suffering for 8 months with no help from Dr. Bradford.

Read the story of Patient-17, a case where Dr. Michael Bradford did NOT tell a patient that his MRI showed possible metastatic disease (bone cancer). Instead, Dr. Bradford only sent the patient to a doctor for pain management. The patient died. The family filed a lawsuit for medical malpractice and wrongful death.

Learn about Patient-20 who had hip replacement surgery by Dr. Michael Bradford in 2024. After much pain and suffering, the male patient found a new surgeon who discovered that Dr. Bradford had used a defective, recalled device. The patient had to undergo revision surgery to remove the defective device and get a new hip replacement.

Read the story of Patient-34 who went to Dr. Michael Bradford and received very little help and was subjected to his inept staff and almost nonexistent customer service (i.e., long delays and unreturned phone calls and unable to get an appointment). Eventually, the patient went to UMC and received good medical care.

Check out the story of Patient-45, another patient who was harmed by Dr. Bradford; then he refused to talk to the patient or help with their suffering. Also learn about the statistics relating to doctors who lie to patients, fail to disclose their mistakes, and lie under oath.

Read the story of Patient-50 is another patient who was harmed during a hip replacement surgery by Dr. Michael Bradford. He has been in pain for more than a year, and Dr. Bradford does nothing to help.

Learn about Patient-57, another patient harmed by Dr. Michael Bradford. Had shoulder replacement surgery. Patient needs help but cannot get a follow-up appointment. No response from Dr. Bradford or his office.

Read the story of Patient-72, another hip replacement by Dr. Michael Bradford. The patient's hip has dislocated 4 times, and Dr. Bradford will not help and refuses to return calls.

Learn about Patient-88, another hip replacement by Dr. Michael Bradford. The device was too long and very painful. The patient can barely walk, and Dr. Bradford will not help.

Read the story about Patient-97. The patient had suffered a fall. He did not properly treat the patient or order required tests. She developed deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and died from a pulmonary embolism.

Learn about Patient-125 who had hip replacement surgery by Dr. Michael Bradford at Sunrise Hospital in November 2025. The patient acquired a serious infection during surgery, and Dr. Bradford is saying the patient needs another surgery. Dr. Bradford says it is only a skin infection, so why does the patient need surgery? Is there something else going on?

Read the story of Patient-148 who went to Dr. Michael Bradford at Nevada Orthopedic & Spine Center in January 2026 for pain treatment. Dr. Bradford was only in the room for 5 minutes, and the patient received no treatment.

Read about Patient-156 who went to Dr. Michael Bradford at Nevada Orthopedic & Spine Center for a knee replacement. On the day of surgery, the patient waited in the pre-op area for several hours, but Dr. Bradford never showed up. The patient was NOT given an explanation for Dr. Bradford's absence, and Dr. Bradford would not respond to the patient's phone calls.

Read about Patient-165 who had surgery by Dr. Michael Bradford at Sunrise Hospital. Very poor communication and very little medical care. There were dangerous complications, so the patient had to seek treatment at a different hospital.

Read about Patient-181 who had surgery by Dr. Michael Bradford. He had hip replacement by Dr. Bradford only two years ago and it failed, so now he needed a hip revision. Surgery was a disaster. He came out of surgery with his mouth busted up and no explanation. He is in worse condition --- cannot sit in chairs, can barely walk and his balance is terrible.

How many other patients has Dr. Bradford harmed?

If you or your loved ones are thinking about going to Dr. Michael Bradford, Nevada Orthopedic & Spine, or Sunrise Hospital, get the facts to help you make an informed decision.

Dr. Bradford's situation compares to the surgeon in the story of Patient-12

Read the story of Patient-12 where the surgeon in that case had staff privileges with the hospital. Similar to Dr. Bradford's privileges at Sunrise Hospital and the fact that Dr. Bradford was Chief of Surgery and head of the infection control committee in the case of Patient-1, the doctor in the story for Patient-12 was Chief of Staff and previously Vice Chief of Staff when the two surgeries took place.

In the case of Patient-12, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled the hospital was liable for the doctor's negligence.

The Nevada Supreme Court ruled that vicarious liability is liability that a supervisory party bears for the actionable conduct of a subordinate based on the relationship between the two parties. The supervisory party need not be directly at fault to be liable, because the subordinate’s negligence is imputed to the supervisor.

To learn more about how hospitals try to avoid liability by claiming the doctor is NOT an employee, check out the information on our page on Hospital Liability.

During litigation, it is typical for defendants to try to hide information from the jury. They will ask the judge to prevent the jury from hearing some of the evidence in the case including information about the defendant's history of bad behavior. It is called a Motion in Limine (motion to exclude evidence).

A lawsuit was filed by Brian Howren, Lisa McAllister, et al, versus Dr. Michael S. Bradford, Nevada Orthopedic & Spine Center, Sunrise Hospital, et al, on June 9, 2005, Case number 05A505241. The list of Plaintiffs included the Estate of Connie Howren. Connie died on September 12, 2003.

Dr. Bradford's attorney submitted a Motion in Limine on June 25, 2009, asking the judge to prevent the jury from hearing all these pieces of evidence:

Exclude evidence of other malpractice lawsuits
Exclude any evidence of defendant's professional liability insurance
Exclude Opinions that Dr. Bradford caused the patient's death
To exclude all non-expert supported criticisms
Dismiss fictitiously named defendants
Require all medical opinions be to a reasonable degree of medical probability
To prohibit Plaintiff from arguing or implying that the medical care provided was "cost driven"
Exclude evidence of alleged standard of care deviations
To permit evidence of collateral sources
Limit any claim for pain and suffering to the duration of Connie Howren's life
Prohibit Connie Howren's heirs from testifying as to their own personal pain and suffering
Preclude hearsay
Limit Plaintiff's claims of pain and suffering
Prohibit cumulative testimony from experts

The case was settled and dismissed with prejudice on October 12, 2009.

Does Dr. Bradford ask to exclude this type of evidence from every lawsuit?

Do you believe the jury should be allowed to hear all the evidence?

There are many complaints and negative reviews about Dr. Bradford. We have collected some of the negative reviews. You can read this collection as Complaints and Reviews-1 and Complaints and Reviews-2, but keep in mind there are many more available online.

NOTICE TO READERS: If the information on a review website doesn't look right, listen to your instincts. For example, Dr. Bradford has been practicing medicine for 39 years (since 1986), so why does he have only 3 reviews on Yelp?

Dr. Bradford's partners at Nevada Orthopedic & Spine Center also have very suspicious numbers of reviews (no reviews or a very low number), even though they have been doctors for many years. We have posted the photos of each doctor and the number of their reviews on Yelp on the page that discusses Nevada Orthopedic.

A few of the negative comments against Dr. Bradford, Nevada Orthopedic & Spine, and Sunrise Hospital are posted on our page of Reviews.

Dr. Bradford has one complaint that is posted online with the Nevada Medical Board, and he has a lawsuit that was decided in favor of the plaintiff.

There are possibly other complaints that have been filed with the Nevada Medical Board, but complaints are never shared with the public unless a penalty or settlement is reached.

Another complaint against Dr. Bradford is currently being investigated by the Nevada Medical Board. Patient-1 filed a complaint with the Nevada Medical Board after the horrible surgery that occurred on June 17, 2025.

The earlier complaint that is posted on the website for the Nevada Medical Board was reported on 03/12/2008. It says Dr. Bradford refused to do surgery on a patient, causing partial paralysis of her hand. Here is what is posted on the website:

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY CLAIM, SETTLEMENT, OR JUDGEMENT OF $5,000 OR MORE: Date received by the Board:03/12/2008 Reported by: Independent Nevada Doctors Insurance Exchange Date of act/omission: 05/03/2004 Details: Refusal to perform fasciotomy to release compartment syndrome resulting in delay and partial paralysis of hand. Settlement amount: $25,000.

The lawsuit mentioned above was about a man who had cancer. Dr. Bradford failed to tell the patient he had cancer. Instead, he referred him only for pain management. The patient died. See the Nevada Supreme Court ruling in the case of Schmutz family vs Michael S. Bradford, et al.

List of Lawsuits

To see an extensive list of lawsuits that have been filed against Dr. Michael Bradford, Nevada Orthopedic & Spine Center, other doctors at Nevada Orthopedic, and Sunrise Hospital, go to our Litigation page.

The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) is a web-based repository of reports containing information on medical malpractice payments and certain adverse actions related to health care practitioners, providers, and suppliers.

Established by Congress in 1986, it is a workforce tool that prevents practitioners from moving state to state without disclosure or discovery of previous damaging performance.

Physicians often find themselves under the scrutiny of hospital investigations and professional review actions.

Hospitals and other entities are mandated to report adverse clinical privilege actions, including resignations while under investigation, to the NPDB within 30 days. Failure to do so can result in the loss of immunity protections for professional review actions for a period of three years.

Timely and thoughtful responses to hospital concerns or communications are critical for physicians. Ignoring or deferring such interactions can exacerbate a situation, as evidenced in the case of Dr. Michael Owens, discussed below.

Case Study: Owens v. The Oregon Clinic

The case of Owens v. The Oregon Clinic, P.C. highlights the legal and professional repercussions of failing to respond to hospital concerns.

Dr. Owens, a gastroenterologist, worked for The Oregon Clinic (TOC) and had privileges at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center (PSVMC). He was under investigation for alleged pre-charting and improper documentation.

Despite receiving communications from PSVMC to discuss the matter, Dr. Owens deferred multiple times.

When he eventually resigned his privileges while the investigation was ongoing, he was given two choices as it related to his privileges at PSVMC: (1) take inactive status, which would pause privileges indefinitely but continue the investigation and require Dr. Owens’ cooperation, or (2) surrender privileges with PSVMC and resign from the Medical Staff. Dr. Owens resigned.

Before accepting his resignation, PSVMC informed him that he was under investigation and, if accepted, his resignation would trigger a report to the NPDB. Dr. Owens rejected PSVMC’s contention that he was under investigation and instead argued that he resigned his privileges to satisfy a non-compete clause in his separation agreement with TOC.

PSVMC reported the resignation to the NPDB, as mandated by HCQIA. Dr. Owens sued, arguing that he had been deprived of a right to a hearing and other due process rights, the court ruled that a “professional review action” could not be conflated with an “investigation.”

The court held that PSVMC had a valid reporting obligation, emphasizing that “investigations” do not require physician notification or awareness to be legally recognized. Furthermore, the court underscored that resignation does not exempt a physician from the consequences of an investigation.

The case serves as a stark reminder that physicians must take hospital inquiries seriously and address them proactively.

The Owens case serves as a reminder for Sunrise Hospital and Dr. Michael Bradford.

Dr. Michael Bradford

List of items that Dr. Bradford DOES NOT

want a jury to hear

Lawsuits, Complaints and Negative Reviews

National Practitioners Data Bank (NPDB)