A terrible surgical error that ruined a man's life and forced his wife to quit her job to be his caretaker for an extended period of time is finally receiving justice. The man and his wife sued for medical malpractice and were recently awarded a $6.7 million judgment.
The case involves a man who went in for a hernia surgery many years ago. The surgery was going fine when, all of a sudden, the surgeon performing the procedure punctured the man's small intestine. The surgeon did not think it was anything to worry about and completed the surgery. Over the coming weeks of post-op surgery, the man's health declined and he was feeling worse. Ultimately, the problem was discovered -- but it required the man to remain bedridden in the intensive care unit for six months.
The man lost his job, and his wife soon lost her career too (though she did it to take care of her husband). The couple filed suit against the hospital and the surgeon who performed the hernia procedure, winning the $6.7 million judgment recently.
There are a couple of things to learn here, and the first of which is a warning to temper expectations regarding the possible compensation of a medical malpractice suit. If you are filing such a lawsuit and you win, there are limitations and laws that may cap the award you are given.
However, of more importance here is holding negligent medical personnel responsible for their substandard performance. Surgical mistakes don't just hurt a person physically; they ruin his or her life. The victimized patient can lose their career; they may not be able to do the things they once enjoyed anymore; their family members may have to make sacrifices to help take care of him or her. All of this pain and suffering can be cited in a medical malpractice lawsuit and used to substantiate the case.
Source: al.com, "Salem couple awarded $6.7 million in medical malpractice lawsuit," Erin Edgemon, Nov. 14, 2013
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