Hospital Errors

January 21, 2019

$2 Million Settlement Reached for Failure to Transfer Patient from Urgent Care to Hospital

Ms. Doe, age 47, suffered from multiple sclerosis and used a walker. After she visited an urgent care clinic, she became tired and tried to sit down on her walker. The walker flipped over and Ms. Doe hit her head on the pavement.

A physician’s assistant at the clinic treated the injury and stitched Ms. Doe’s wound before discharging her with only verbal instructions.

Ms. Doe lapsed into a coma approximately five hours later. She was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital where testing revealed a skull fracture and intracranial hemorrhage with midline shift.
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December 13, 2018

$4.9 Million Jury Verdict for Failure to Timely Evaluate Patient, Leading to a Below-the-Knee Amputation

by Robert Kreisman

Samuel Gray was 61 when he reported excruciating pain and cramping in his left lower leg. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital emergency room where it was noted that he had diminished foot pulses and was in severe pain. He was later diagnosed as having acute ischemia of the lower leg and was given Heparin, a blood thinner.

The hospital staff contacted a thoracic surgeon, Dr. Panagiotis Iakovidis, who agreed to treat Gray and ordered a CT angiogram. The CT angiogram confirmed the diagnosis of acute ischemia in the lower leg.

However, Dr. Iakovidis did not see Gray personally until the next day, 22 hours after the hospital staff had requested his services. Despite an attempt to restore blood flow, Gray subsequently required below-the-knee amputation of his left leg.
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December 4, 2018

$6.3 Million Jury Verdict in Failure to Diagnose, Treat Compartment Syndrome

by Robert Kreisman

Jody Blatchley, a 32-year-old snowboarding coach, fractured his left tibia and right calcaneus in a snowboarding mishap. He underwent two surgeries over the next few days including a left tibial plateau repair surgery performed by Dr. Richard Cunningham.

After a second surgery, it was noted that Blatchley had pain, decreased sensation in his left leg, and an inability to move his left toes. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Peter James evaluated Blatchley and prescribed pain medication.

Over the next few days, Blatchley’s pain increased, he developed swelling and remained unable to wiggle his toes. He underwent an ultrasound and was later found to have increased pressure in the compartments of his lower left extremity. This led to an emergency fasciotomy, debridement and skin graft procedures, and placement of a wound VAC six days after the injury. Blatchley now suffers from left foot drop and lower leg pain. His medical expenses totaled $418,000, and he lost income of $190,000.
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November 13, 2018

$25.3 Million Jury Verdict for Negligence Related to Treatment of Stroke

by Robert Kreisman

Jerri Woodring-Thueson suffered a stroke. Several days later, tests showed a suspected vertebrobasilar arterial dissection. She was transferred to Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center, the nearest comprehensive stroke center.

A vertebral artery dissection is a flap-like tear of the inner linings of the vertebral artery, which is located in the neck and supplies blood to the brain. After such a tear, blood enters the arterial wall and forms a blood clot to thicken the artery wall; often it blocks blood flow.

Shortly after her admission to the Seattle facility, she experienced nausea, vertigo, decreased hearing, blurred vision and uncontrolled eye movements. A repeat MRI was negative for new strokes. Woodring-Thueson’s treating physicians continued her on dual antiplatelet therapy, which included aspirin.
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October 29, 2018

Illinois Appellate Court Affirms Dismissal of Wrongful Death Claim for the Expiration of the Statute of Limitations on Negligence

by Robert Kreisman

On April 21, 2011, Gail Osten had a screening mammogram. The “technologist” at the screening noticed a slightly inverted left nipple and a brown discharge, which Osten had not noticed before.

The mammogram revealed bilateral benign calcification and no other masses or malignancy. No further tests were ordered. In December 2011, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She died on March 19, 2015.

On Jan. 20, 2017, Joseph Osten, as special administrator for Gail Osten’s estate, filed suit against Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, Nye Partners in Women’s Health and three of the medical providers who treated Osten in April 2011.
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October 23, 2018

$43.33 Million Jury Verdict for Hospital’s Failure to Prevent Medical Practice by Physician Who Lacked Privileges

by Robert Kreisman

Billy Pierce, 61, was admitted to East Texas Medical Center complaining of stomach pain and vomiting. Gastroenterologist Dr. Gary Boyd diagnosed bile duct stones, acute pancreatitis and cholangitis. Pierce developed sepsis and multi-organ failure. Another gastroenterologist evaluated Pierce and removed his bile duct stones. Pierce recovered after this surgical procedure but subsequently developed worsened cholangitis, which necessitated a liver transplant.

Pierce had been a senior vice president of a chemical company and was earning $900,000 per year, but he is now unable to work.

Pierce sued the hospital, Dr. Boyd and two other treating gastroenterologists. He alleged that the hospital negligently allowed Dr. Boyd to practice when the state medical board had suspended his medical privileges and that Dr. Boyd chose not to remove the bile duct stones, which led to sepsis and the multi-organ failure.
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September 21, 2018

$18 Million Jury Verdict for Late Diagnosis and Treatment of Infection to Spine

by Robert Kreisman

Joan Simmons, 58, was experiencing acute back pain. She went to the emergency room at St. Joseph’s/Candler Hospital. She was treated and released. Her back pain continued.

Eight days after the back pain started, she returned to the hospital complaining of an altered mental status. Testing revealed a blood stream infection.

An infectious disease specialist, Dr. Sarah Barbour, examined Simmons, who then began to experience progressive leg weakness.

August 29, 2018

$7.96 Million Jury Verdict for Failure to Correctly Treat Spinal Cord Injury

by Robert Kreisman

Shane Ackerschott was injured at work. He went to RediCare Urgent Care Clinic, which was run by Mountain View Hospital. Ackerschott, 40 years old at the time, experienced numbness below the waist and severe pain when he arrived at this clinic.

He was at the clinic for several hours and consulted with a nurse and family physician who had him raise his legs, touch his toes, and move up and down, among other things. However, his symptoms worsened.

After he walked to the facility’s X-ray room, he collapsed. He was transported to Mountain View Hospital where he was diagnosed with having a spinal cord injury at T10-11, resulting in paraplegia.
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August 21, 2018

$7 Million Settlement for Late Response to Respiratory Distress

by Robert Kreisman

Susan Clifford was a 40-year-old Iraq war veteran who was admitted to Veterans Hospital suffering from shortness of breath and flu-like symptoms. Over the next week, she received respiratory therapy, nebulizer treatments and mask ventilation.

When the treating medical providers attempted to switch her from the ventilator mask to a nasal cannula, she suffered an acute bronchial spasm. She was intubated approximately 44 minutes later but suffered oxygen deprivation, which resulted in permanent brain damage, blindness and quadriparesis.

Clifford sued the United States (Veteran’s Administration) alleging that its medical providers chose not to properly respond to acute respiratory distress and timely restore her airway. The lawsuit did not claim lost income or medical expenses.
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August 8, 2018

State Supreme Court Affirms in Part and Reverses in Part Judgment of the Trial Court Granting Summary Judgment in Favor of Defendants in a Physical Therapy Negligence Case

by Robert Kreisman

During a physical therapy session following her hip surgery, Anita Hanson began to experience increased pain in her leg. The pain did not subside and hospital staff later diagnosed her with a fractured femur.

Hanson and her husband brought a lawsuit against the physical therapy company and the hospital. It was alleged in the lawsuit that the physical therapist was negligent during the physical therapy session, that the hospital was negligent in choosing not to timely diagnose the fractured femur, and that Hanson was injured as a result of the negligence of both the hospital and the physical therapist. The defendants separately moved for summary judgment. The plaintiffs, Anita Hanson and her husband Marvin Hanson, filed an appeal.

On Sept. 8, 2014, Anita Hanson underwent a right total hip arthroplasty. The surgeon, Dr. Michael Vener performed the surgery. After the surgery, Dr. Vener took x-rays, which confirmed a properly placed artificial joint. The x-ray did not reveal any fractured bones.
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