Many cases of medical malpractice revolve around complex medical issues. As such, juries may need the help of expert medical witnesses to explain the issues and to help understand how the doctor or hospital was at fault.
But there are also cases where a physician’s negligence is so obvious that it almost defies belief. A recent series of complaints against one doctor is a good example. Thankfully, the doctor is not based here in West Virginia, but negligence like this could potentially be found anywhere.
According to news reports, a clinical infectious disease doctor in Nevada has lost his license for at least a year after several patients died in his care and one woman suffered permanent complications. All of these deaths and injuries were very preventable.
In addition to lawsuits alleging medical malpractice, the doctor was accused of failing to keep accurate medical records and failing to supervise his physician assistant.
Here is a brief summary of the harm done to victims:
- A 73-year-old woman died because she was not given appropriate doses of antibiotics to treat an infection.
- A 25-year-old mother died because the physician’s assistant failed to diagnose tuberculosis based on lab and imaging results.
- A 24-year-old died while awaiting test results that clearly showed high levels of potassium in her blood. Her family did not receive a phone call with test results until the day after she died.
- A 70-year-old patient suffered permanent brain damage due to antibiotic toxicity.
Both the doctor and his physician assistant have been fined by the state board, and the doctor has lost his license for a year (while the P.A. was put on probation). The doctor is also being sued for medical malpractice.
It is scary to think that doctors could cause this level of death and injury by acting in a manner that most non-physicians would easily recognize as negligent and careless. It is also frightening to think that such a doctor might be allowed to practice again someday after committing these egregious errors.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured (or worse) by medical malpractice, you have the right to seek full and fair compensation for the harm you suffered. And by taking legal action, you may actually be helping future patients avoid suffering the same fate at the hands of a negligent physician or healthcare provider.
