Florida Family Awarded $20 Million In Medical Malpractice Case
When a person goes to an emergency room for an acute medical condition, it’s expected that they will get appropriate treatment and recover. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. If a doctor is negligent, a patient can suffer a wide range of injuries and even death.
This was the case for a Florida man, who was put on high doses of painkillers. The man suffered brain damage and died. His wife and son were recently awarded a $20 million verdict in court.
The 54-year-old man was taken to an emergency room in June 2020 after suffering from acute pancreatitis. He was in a lot of pain, but due to the COVID pandemic, his wife could not stay with him.
The woman went home and received a call from the hospital the next day. She was told to come right away. She went into her husband’s room and saw him unconscious, hooked up to a bunch of medical equipment. That was when the doctor told her that her husband had brain damage.
The man was given a whopping 27 doses of the opioid Dilaudid over the course of 28 hours. The doctor also failed to do a proper medical history. He never asked the patient if he had sleep apnea, which he did. The problem with this is that doctors have to be very careful when giving powerful narcotics to someone with sleep apnea.
On top of that, the doctor did not order the man to be put on monitoring equipment. Therefore, it is unknown when he stopped breathing and began developing brain damage. He was put on life support, but removed from it within a week.
The doctor’s lawyers claimed that he followed the appropriate regimen to curb the patient’s pain and he even said the patient told him he did not suffer from any respiratory issues. The man was also placed on a floor where nurses would check on him regularly.
The man’s wife, however, said this was not enough. The medical care the man received was below the accepted standard, leaving his family irreparably damaged.
The man’s wife was pleased with the verdict, but she said no amount of money could replace her husband. She claims he was the love of her life.
The woman also warns anyone with sleep apnea to be careful when being prescribed opioids. Sleep apnea affects 1 in 5 men.
Seek Help for Your Personal Injury Case
When a patient is in the hospital and is under high doses of medication, they need to be monitored. Plus, it’s important to do a medical history to see if a patient can take a certain drug, as serious side effects are common.
Doctors need to be held liable for their mistakes, but fighting a medical malpractice case can be hard. See how a Dade City & Zephyrhills medical malpractice attorney from Madonna Law Group can assist you with your case and work toward financial recovery. Fill out the online form or call (800) 557-0411 to schedule a consultation.
Source:
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