Lawsuit Settles for $650K After Sponge Left in Patient

The Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida paid $650,000 to settle a lawsuit against a man with a “retained foreign object and medication error.”  The man also reached a confidential settlement against two radiologists.

The now 68-year-old man was admitted to the hospital in October 2009 to undergo surgery for diverticulitis.  His recovery was slow, and after five months he was in more pain than prior to his surgery.  He went back to the doctor and had several X-rays and CT scans before the surgeon and gastrointestinal doctor found a surgical sponge in his stomach that had been left behind during surgery.

The man declined further treatment at Good Samaritan and went to another hospital to have the sponge removed and a portion of his intestines, due to perforation.  The man also received an incorrect dosage of blood pressure medicine, however, he did not have any lasting issues over that error. […]

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Doctor to Pay $3 Million for Birth Defects Suffered 18 Yrs Ago

PostStar.com reports a Warren County state Supreme Court has found a doctor should pay $3 million to a now 18-year-old girl who continues to suffer from birth defects.

The jury found Dr. Stephen Serlin, an OB/GYN should pay the girl who suffers from cerebral palsy and other health issues she suffers because of a brain injury at birth.  Dr. Serlin was found to have “deviated from the acceptable standard of care” which was a large factor in the girl’s health issues.

He was called to the hospital at 5 a.m. to perform an emergency Cesarean section.  He arrived 2 hours later and did not start the surgery until 8:14 am – a delay where the brain injury occurred.  The baby suffered “fetal asphyxia” in the womb due to a compressed umbilical cord.

Birth traumas are injuries that happen to a newborn during labor and delivery.  […]

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$3.5 Million Awarded In Lawsuit Over Botched Surgery

The Baltimore Sun reports a 53-year-old woman has won $3.5 million in her medical malpractice suit against Vascular Surgery Associates and two of its surgeons following a botched surgery.

In 2007 the woman’s surgery for blocked arteries ended in devastating injuries including damage to her spinal cord which left her a paraplegic. The lawsuit claimed the doctor used an improper grafting technique which led to various injuries including blood loss, and paralysis.

The award included $1.3 million in noneconomic damages, $2 million for future medical bills, and more than $200,000 for prior medical bills.

Our medical malpractice lawyers have decades of experience handling complex cases involving medical errors, misdiagnoses, and hospital infections. We will evaluate your case thoroughly and explore all potential sources of recovery – we fight to protect the rights of patients.  If you or a loved one has been harmed by medical negligence, […]

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Jury Awards $15M After Medical Errors Caused Boy’s Death

A Suffolk County jury has found two doctors at Children’s Hospital Boston caused the death of a 3-year-old boy and must pay his parents $15 million, reports the Boston Globe. This is an unusual amount for a medical malpractice case involving death — settlements this large are more usual for severely injured patients requiring years of expensive treatment.

The Pennsylvania boy was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a complex but treatable birth defect which affects the flow of blood through the heart. After several surgeries to try to widen the arteries carrying blood to his heart, the young boy was referred to another doctor who performed a catheterization. Within hours of this surgery the boy suffered a seizure found to be caused by contrast dye used in the surgery leaking into his brain.

During an MRI a tiny piece of metal — probably from a medical instrument — […]

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$4.34 Million Awarded To Veteran Paralyzed After Spinal Surgery

A 66-year-old veteran who alleged he was left paralyzed from spinal surgery at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in West Los Angeles has been awarded $4.34 million by a federal judge, according to Courthouse News Service.

In October 2005, Alvin Johnson had spinal surgery to correct a ruptured disc at the VA medical center, according to the article. Doctors injected Surgifoam, a material which absorbs blood and other fluids, into the space created once the ruptured disc was removed.

According to the complaint, the doctors did not remove all the excess foam and it expanded, pressing against the spinal cord. When the veteran’s daughter was notified two and a half hours later, Mr. Johnson had no feeling from his neck down and was nearly completely paralyzed.

An MRI showing the spinal cord was compressed was ordered by another doctor, but Mr. Johnson’s doctors did nothing, […]

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