For residents of Pitt County, like people all over the United States, surgery can be frightening. In fact, a large number of people find visiting the doctor to be an upsetting experience in general. Also, with the sheer quantities of medical malpracmtice concerns in the United States alone, who can blame them?
A recent news report in the Kansas City Star highlighted the story of a woman who underwent surgery to have a small pool of blood drained off the surface of her brain. Unbeknownst to the woman, her neurosurgeon had been sued sixteen times for purported medical errors. Sadly, in her case, what she didn’t know did hurt her.
The 77-year-old woman woke from surgery having been the victim of brain injury sustained during the operation. She was paralyzed on the right side of her body and had lost her ability to speak. Within a few days after her surgery, she fell unconscious and eventually died.
The woman’s family filed a wrongful death suit against her neurosurgeon. The family was awarded $1,010,000, a figure that brought the surgeons total malpractice payments to around $3.7 million (since the early 1990s). Shockingly, the surgeon’s license remains unscathed, despite the malpractice hearings and disciplinary proceedings he has undergone.
Perhaps even more shocking is the fact that this neurosurgeon is not alone. All over the United States there are large numbers of doctors with flawless licenses even after a history of medical malpractice lawsuits.
The sad truth is, whether you live in Pitt County or Timbuktu, it is possible to be a victim of medical malpractice. Hospital negligence, medication errors and a host of other unforeseen medical nightmares can befall the most innocent and unsuspecting victims. As such, attorneys located in the Greenville area have dedicated themselves to advocating victims of medical malpractice. Individuals who feel they may have been victimized by a surgeon, physician or even a nurse may find peace of mind in consulting with an attorney experienced in medical malpractice.
Source: The Kansas City Star, “Doctors with histories of alleged malpractice often go undisciplined,” Alan Bavley, Sept. 3, 2011