Medical professionals across the country, including in Pennsylvania, are held to specific standards. When the negligence of medical professionals leads to life-altering consequences in patients, it is only natural for victims to be disillusioned about the efficiency of doctors and other medical staff. A hospital in another state is facing a medical malpractice lawsuit that was filed by a former patient who believes that the negligence of medical personnel ultimately led to an amputation.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff, who had a prior partial leg amputation, underwent several surgical procedures during Sept. 2010. The plaintiff alleges that, during one of these procedures, the medical staff failed to properly monitor cauterizing equipment. This claimed negligence is said to have caused severe burn wounds that required debridement, which is the removal of damaged tissue to encourage the healing of healthy tissue. He contends that he had to undergo intensive wound treatment for many months following the procedure.
The plaintiff further claims that the consequences were severe enough to necessitate a further amputation to his left leg stump, rendering the standard prosthetic useless. He claims that this also increased his risk of developing further cardiovascular complications. He seeks recovery of damages of an unspecified amount for medical expenses — past and future. He also seeks monetary relief for mental anguish, loss of income and pain and suffering.
Pennsylvania residents who believe they have been the victims of negligent medical care may be entitled to pursue compensation by filing medical malpractice claims in a civil court. Understandably, however, medical malpractice is a complicated area of the law. An experienced attorney will have the necessary resources to obtain medical information and expert testimony to support allegations of medical error.
Source: louisianarecord.com, “Patient sues Touro claiming surgeon’s negligence led to severe burns, amputation“, Andrey Burin, July 10, 2015