Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Leads to $2.3 Million Judgment

A New York man was recently awarded $2.3 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit. According to reports, the plaintiff went for an MRI in 2010 and was given a routine injection. Subsequently, he had an additional test which revealed that he had contracted a serious infection.

Rather than immediately addressing the infection, the practitioners sent the plaintiff home. This resulted in the plaintiff being rushed back to the hospital two days later. Apparently, the infection spread, causing significant damage to his hip, and ultimately required hip replacement surgery. Because the victim was a construction worker, the consequences of the procedure severely limited his capacity to work.

The Rockland County, New York jury determined that the head of orthopedic surgery was negligently liable for failing to treat the plaintiff’s infection.

Although medical malpractice cases often address mistakes made during the course of a surgical procedure, failure to properly interpret and address the results of diagnostic tests is a considerable error that may lead to a viable claim for medical malpractice.

Hospital-acquired infections are more prevalent than one might expect. The danger in such infections is that they can lead to significant organ damage and sometimes death. According to data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one in 25 hospital patients, on any given day, acquired at least one healthcare-associated infection, including pneumonia, gastrointestinal illnesses, urinary tract infections, bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, etc.

Hospital infections are also a prominent cause of medical malpractice lawsuits. A 2013 study reported the five most common infections contracted by patients in hospitals cost the U.S. healthcare system nearly $10 billion annually.

If you or a loved one believe that you have been the victim of medical malpractice, either due to a surgical procedure or a non-surgical procedure, you may be entitled to damages for your medical bills, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and other damages. Contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney at Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss, LLP. For a free initial consultation, please call 212-571-7171, or submit an online form.