Mr. Doe, 68, went to a hospital complaining of severe back pain. When he was admitted, a hospitalist ordered an MRI. Doe began declining neurologically and then was treated for respiratory issues approximately two days into the hospitalization. The MRI order was discontinued. It was not done until the fifth…
Articles Posted in Infectious Disease
$6.46 Million Jury Verdict in Failure to Diagnose Cause of Cardiac Condition
With several other physicians, cardiologist Dr. Roy Venzon attended to Laura Staib, 39. While she was in the hospital, Staib was diagnosed as having congestive heart failure, pneumonia and sepsis. She remained hospitalized until she was transferred to a long-term care facility the following month. Four days after that transfer,…
Undisclosed Settlement Reached Before Jury Verdict of $2 Million in Negligent Treatment of Pneumonia
Darion Brewer was just seven months old and was sick for nine days. He was placed on Zithromax (Z-pak), an anti-biotic after being taken to a hospital emergency room and urgent care facility. He was seen by a pediatrician, Dr. Cheryl Emoto, who noted that Darion was experiencing respiratory distress…
$1.39 Million Jury Verdict for the Death of Patient Caused by Failure to Treat Surgical Incision
Alice Underwood, 82, underwent hip replacement surgery and rehabilitation. Six days after the surgery, she was admitted to Victor Valley Global Medical Center for treatment of a urinary tract infection and dehydration. While she was hospitalized, she suffered a surgical site infection, which caused her incision to separate. She underwent…
State Appellate Court Finds Expert Report Sufficient in Medical Negligence, Wrongful Death of a Child from Bacterial Infection
A Texas state appellate court has held that a plaintiff expert’s report was adequate in a case brought by the parents whose child died after receiving inadequate treatment for a respiratory infection. Luz Del Carmen Rodriguez and Victor Velazquez took their infant son to the office of a pediatrician, Dr.…
$1.8 Million Wrongful Death Settlement for Failure to Diagnose Pulmonary Embolism
Ms. Doe, age 43, was hospitalized and treated for sepsis after she underwent laparoscopic surgery. Shortly after her release from the hospital, Ms. Doe experienced severe shortness of breath, tachycardia and lower back pain. Ms. Doe met twice with Dr. Roe, an infectious disease specialist, who ordered a chest X-ray,…
$1.53 Million Jury Verdict for Unnecessary Surgery
A $1.53 million jury verdict was entered following the jury trial of 50-year-old Joseph Miller. Miller was referred to Bay Area Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine for evaluation of a bone spur in his right heel. Dr. Vivek Sood, an orthopedic surgeon, removed the bone spur and also did an Achilles…
$18 Million Jury Verdict for Late Diagnosis and Treatment of Infection to Spine
Joan Simmons, 58, was experiencing acute back pain. She went to the emergency room at St. Joseph’s/Candler Hospital. She was treated and released. Her back pain continued. Eight days after the back pain started, she returned to the hospital complaining of an altered mental status. Testing revealed a blood stream…
$100,000 Cook County Jury Verdict for Late Diagnosis of Infection
Russell Kazda, 50, developed a splinter wound in his right pinky finger. A hand specialist, Dr. James Schlenker, performed a surgical procedure to remove the splinter. In doing so, Dr. Schlenker opened Kazda’s palm to examine his tendon. About a week after this procedure, Kazda returned to Dr. Schlenker and…
$4.25 Million Jury Verdict for Failure to Screen for Infectious Process
James Woodard was 64 years old and underwent the first of a two-part elective back surgery at the University of New Mexico Hospital. While Woodard was hospitalized, he was unknowingly exposed to MRSA, an infectious process that is hard to eradicate and usually contracted in hospitals. One month after the…