$750,000 Medical Malpractice Settlement

category: Diagnostic Errors,Medical Malpractice,Medication Errors

$750,000 Medical Malpractice Settlement

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$750,000 Medical Malpractice Settlement. A 52-year-old male worked at a bakery. His left leg had been red, swollen, and warm for four days. He went to the emergency room twice and was diagnosed as having early cellulitis. He saw his family doctor and was then admitted to the hospital. Sores developed on his leg for which he was given an antibiotic, support stockings, told to elevate his leg, use whirlpools at the hospital, and given topical treatment on the sores. During one whirlpool session, the plaintiff blacked out. Numerous tests were done to determine the cause of his loss of consciousness. At no time was a venogram or a Doppler ultrasound or any other proper workup for his leg problems considered or even performed. The failure to obtain a venogram or a Doppler ultrasound to rule out blood clots as the possible cause of the left leg problem was argued to be below the standard of care. Neither Heparin, a blood thinner, or Coumadin, an oral blood thinner, were prescribed. While these medications would not have destroyed the clots that were already present, they would have prevented new clots from forming. It was determined that a pulmonary embolism had most likely occurred when he blacked out which caused a clot in his leg to break loose. The client must now take Coumadin and pain medications for the rest of his life, wear support stockings, get his blood checked every two weeks and follow a special diet. This case was settled just prior to trial for $750,000.00.