A medical malpractice lawsuit recently filed by a Michigan woman highlights how relatively simple medical care can go seriously wrong. The woman claims that she sought treatment at the emergency room of University Hospital in 2013 after being bit on the hand by her sister-in-law’s cat. The cat, which had recently been purchased on the assumption that it was a spayed female, turned out to be an aggressive, unneutered male. The bite led to an infection which got worse as time went on.
The complaint centers on the University of Michigan Health System’s alleged failure to properly clean the wound from the start. After multiple visits to the hospital and a hand surgeon, she developed serious complications that forced her to check into an emergency room. Those complications, she says, could have killed her.
The woman claims that the physicians who handled an MRI failed to properly address kidney and anemia problems, and that they did not provide sufficient discharge instructions. In total, she is suing seven physicians, the University of Michigan Hospital, the University of Michigan Health System, and the Board of Regents for that institution.
Interestingly, sources say that the woman is filed the lawsuit without the assistance of an attorney. It isn’t clear whether the woman had previously sought legal advice, or whether she will be seeking legal assistance with her case going forward, but she would certainly be advised to do so. Medical malpractice litigation can be very complicated, for a number of reasons.
In a future post, we’ll continue looking at this case and some of the reasons it is important to work with an experienced medical malpractice attorney before jumping into litigation.
