A medical malpractice lawsuit gives patients a chance to hold physicians and other medical staff accountable when someone’s medical care leaves them worse off than when he or she came to seek care. For one woman, a lack of lab tests and a medication change ended up leaving her in a vegetative state, with her face and head deformed from surgery required to reduce pressure in her brain.
The lawsuit was filed in 2016 after the woman suffered an injury to her brain due to a blood clot. She had surgery prior to the injury to address a hemorrhage that was near her brain. After the surgery, the woman went to Lynwood Manor in order to convalesce. She complained of having stroke-like symptoms and headaches while there. A medication that causes excessive coagulation of the blood was ordered while a medication she had been taking — a blood thinner — was stopped.
The settlement amount was not released, although the defendants deny any wrongdoing. However, an attorney for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services argued that the state should receive more than $380,000 “because the settlement was for six to seven times that amount.” The judge overseeing the case awarded the state over $105,000.
The woman’s husband said that his wife was not able to be at court because of her various physical limitations. She can only communicate with others in a very restricted manner and is usually in a bed or wheelchair.
If you have suffered because of negligent or reckless decisions made in your medical care, you might have a medical malpractice case against your physician, other medical staff and the hospital. An experienced attorney can provide additional information on your legal options.
Source: Lenconnect.com, “Brain injury lawsuit settled,” David Panian, April 11, 2018
