Articles Posted in Settlements

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Doe, age 63, went to Dr. Roe, his primary care physician, for a physical examination. Dr. Roe ordered a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, which showed an abnormal result of 17.6 ng/mL.

The results prompted Dr. Roe to repeat the test that day, the second test, which resulted in a higher reading of 18.46 ng/mL.

Dr. Roe allegedly attributed the abnormal PSA values to Mr. Doe’s having to hold his urine for long periods of time while he was at work. At a follow-up appointment six months later, Dr. Roe ordered another PSA test; it showed a result of 43.15 ng/mL.
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Akimbee Burns, who was in her late 30s, underwent a pap smear at a federally operated health care center. The health center’s pap smear showed atypical squamous cells. Unfortunately, Burns’s treating physician did not tell her of the results. When Burns returned to the same health center to follow up on an unrelated issue, the doctor allegedly told her that her pap smear result was normal.

Approximately eight months later, Burns was diagnosed as having Stage IIB cervical cancer, which had spread to her lymph nodes.

Although Burns underwent radiation, chemotherapy and other treatments, she died within two years.
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Carolyn Parris, a 76-year-old woman suffering from dementia, was taken by ambulance to the Mary Black Health Systems Gaffney Emergency Room. She was admitted for pneumonia and identified as a moderate fall risk.

Early one morning, her bed alarm sounded, prompting the staff to come to her room where they found her in the doorway of her bathroom on the floor. An x-ray revealed that she had suffered a fractured ankle.

As a result of that injury, Parris required open reduction and internal fixation surgery and was transferred to a nursing home.
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Ms. Doe, 63, underwent a hysterectomy performed by Dr. Roe. Almost three weeks after the procedure, she was admitted to a hospital where testing showed that she had a gangrenous cecum.

Ms. Doe underwent two colectomy surgeries, was hospitalized for three weeks and required a month of inpatient rehabilitation.

Ms. Doe now suffers from chronic abdominal pain but is not a candidate for reversal of her colostomy. In addition, she requires daily in-home assistance.
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Audene Moxley was taken by an ambulance from her home to Piedmont Medical Center. A nurse determined that she was at high risk for developing pressure ulcers and ordered preventive measures, including repositioning the patient every two hours.

Over Moxley’s 9-day hospitalization at this facility, she was left in the same position for multiple hours on many occasions. Although a nurse noted that Moxley had a suspected deep tissue injury, the staff did not timely consult a wound care specialist. In addition, during Moxley’s hospitalization, she developed paralysis below the waist.

For the remainder of her life, Moxley continued to suffer from pressure ulcers and paralysis. After her death, Moxley was survived by her four adult children.
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