Medical Negligence
By Mary Shultz
Monday, February 28, 2005
A 33 year old roofer fell from a scaffold and severely
fractured his lower right leg. He was taken to an area hospital where he was
diagnosed with a pilon fracture of the tibia and a comminuted fracture of the
fibula. He underwent an open reduction, internal fixation procedure by the
defendant doctor. He had no loss of sensation when presenting at the emergency
room, but after the surgery he was diagnosed with numbness on the bottom of his
foot, which indicated an injury to the posterior tibial nerve.
Two days later the patient/client developed a fracture blister that became
infected. The infection site was over the metal implants. Within a couple of
weeks the infection progressed to a full thickness eschar. The patient/client
had complete nerve death of the untreated nerve compression and lost sensation
on the bottom of his injured foot.
The infection, likewise was not treated and
went on to be osteomyelitis or bone infection. With the nerve injury and
infection uncontrolled, the client's leg was amputated below the knee.
The jury awarded the client $2,812,000.00.

