In Massachusetts and in other states, people depend on their doctors to properly identify and treat their medical conditions. Doctors train for an extended period of time in order to obtain specialized knowledge that ordinary citizens do not have. As such, hospitalized patients can only describe their symptoms and hope that their physicians will order appropriate tests and consult with specialists in order to determine the source of the problem. Once there is an accurate diagnosis, the medical concern may be addressed through surgery, medication or another plan. A doctor’s failure to make an accurate diagnosis can cause a patient to suffer complications that greatly impact his or her quality of life.
A man who believes that he became unnecessarily paralyzed has filed a lawsuit alleging medical malpractice against a hospitalist. The man and his wife assert that the physician failed to discover a sizable epidural abscess; the abscess was pressing on the man’s spine. According to the complaint, the man feels that the doctor breached his duty to provide a reasonable standard of care. He claims that as a result, he has incurred damages including lost wages, physical pain, and mental pain and suffering.
When a doctor error results in a worsened condition, the patient and family suffer terrible stress. Even if the mistake is not life threatening, there may be treatments that would not have been necessary if the injury had been properly treated at the beginning of the care. Many people in this situation find it eye opening to speak with an attorney who specializes in medical malpractice law. In appropriate circumstances, it may be possible to recover just compensation from all responsible parties.
Source: The West Virginia Record, “Couple sue physician for medical malpractice,” Kyla Asbury, August 9, 2013
