We as a society put a lot of faith in surgeons. We trust that these medical professionals will act properly when providing care to patients. Great harm can occur when surgeons fail to live up to this expectation.
Recently, a jury reached a verdict in a case in which allegations of negligence were leveled against a surgeon. The case was from another state, South Carolina.
The case involved a man who was brought to a hospital to receive surgical care following a car accident. The man alleged that an orthopedic surgeon at the hospital delayed his surgery by ordering a CAT scan. The man claimed that, given what his vital signs were at the time, these actions by the surgeon constituted negligence. He further alleged that these actions caused him to become a paraplegic.
A medical malpractice lawsuit was brought by the man and his wife against the surgeon in connection to these allegations. The jury in this case recently reached its decision. The jury ruled in favor of the man and his wife and granted them a monetary award.
While this case was from another state, it underscores a point that is worth noting here in Illinois. This point is that surgeon negligence can have significant impacts on patients. Thus, one hopes that all surgeons here in Illinois make sure to avoid acting negligently towards patients. One also hopes surgeons are held accountable when they commit harmful negligence.
If a person suspects that they have been the victim of negligence by a surgeon, they may wish to consider meeting with an experienced medical malpractice attorney to discuss what steps can be taken to pursue relief.
Source: Myrtle Beach Online, “Jury awards $2.85 million in Myrtle Beach area medical malpractice lawsuit,” David Wren, Sept. 17, 2013