Personal Injury Lawyer
As a medical malpractice attorney, the most heartbreaking cases involve negligent treatment of children. This case highlights the devastating results of medical errors involving children. In April 2015, a 5-year old boy underwent a tonsil surgery at a New Jersey hospital. Due to his young age, his name has been withheld from public records. The boy’s surgical procedure was to remove his tonsils and adenoids. However, complications occurred which changed his entire life.
During the surgery, the boy had to be resuscitated after losing consciousness. During the resuscitation, the doctors “punctured both of the boy’s femoral arteries to try to establish lines in them.” The femoral arteries are large arteries located in the thigh and are the main supply of blood for the legs and thighs. The boy survived the operation and was placed in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with the aid of a ventilator. Due to the lacerations to his femoral arteries, the boy’s doctors monitored the blood flow in his legs in fear of the formation of blood clots.
Blood clots did appear in his right leg which prevented blood from reaching the limb. More 12 hours elapsed before any measures were taken by doctors to attempt to remedy this situation. By this time, the boy had lost color and warmth in his leg as well as a pulse in the lower part of his right leg. At this point, the child was flown to a major Pennsylvania medical center where he underwent emergency surgery to amputate his leg. If the doctors at the original hospital had caught the problem earlier and responded in a timely manner, the boy would not have lost his leg.
Currently at age 10, the boy uses a wheelchair to get around and has a prosthetic leg. He continues to have ongoing medical issues. The boy obtained a settlement of $12.5 million to provide for his future and medical expenses resulting from the hospital negligence. A hospital spokesperson told reporters that “In the case of (the plaintiff), despite extraordinary efforts by all clinicians involved, a rare life-threatening event occurred during his hospital admission. While denying any wrongdoing on the part of the physicians and nurses, (the) Medical Center agreed to a settlement that will provide for the future medical care and needs of (the plaintiff). The Medical Center recognizes that he will face challenges in the years ahead and wishes him well.”
If you or a loved one has encountered any form of medical negligence or medical malpractice, seek legal counsel from a lawyer, like a medical malpractice lawyer in Cleveland, OH from Mishkind Kulwicki Law Co., LPA, immediately. Timing is crucial when presenting a case to the court so do not wait. The medical malpractice lawyer can conduct a thorough investigation and determine if you have cause for filing a lawsuit. You may be eligible for compensation after seeking legal recourse for your malpractice case.
