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Surgeon’s delay caused woman lifelong disorder; jury awards $1.5M

On Behalf of | Jan 24, 2012 | Medical Malpractice, Surgical Errors

After roughly eight years, an Indiana woman’s medical malpractice claim has finally been resolved via a favorable jury verdict. The $1.5 million jury award is bittersweet; however, because the woman’s suffering will continue throughout her lifetime.

In 2003, a 21-year-old woman visited the hospital with severe abdominal pain. She consulted a surgeon, who advised her to have part of her intestines removed the following day. The patient agreed and returned for her surgery, but the doctor changed his mind and said they could delay the procedure. The woman’s condition worsened over several days and she ended up having emergency surgery performed by another surgeon.

The patient’s entire bowel needed to be removed, as she had been suffering from ischemic bowel disease – also known as “dead bowel.” She filed a medical malpractice lawsuit, claiming that part of her bowel could have been saved had the surgeon performed the procedure as originally planned.

A Clark County jury agreed, but – as in nearly every malpractice case – the victim would gladly return the money if she could reverse the devastating effects of the surgery error. With her dramatically-shortened digestive system the patient has trouble getting adequate nutrition, as she passes food within a half-hour of eating. Her life is not only full of constant inconvenience, but pain, too. The victim suffers from bloating, severe enough that it’s physically visible.

Nobody should have to go through such daily pain and suffering because of medical negligence. If you or a loved one has suffered severe harm from a doctor’s error, contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney to discuss your legal rights for financial compensation.

Source: newsandtribune.com, “Jury awards $1.5 million in medical malpractice suit,” Matt Thacker, Jan. 20, 2012

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