Patient injuries caused by negligence

Many Louisiana residents know that medical procedures can be stressful or even scary for patients, especially children. Parents often try to put on a brave face for their children, but many are secretly terrified of the possibility that something will go wrong during or after their child’s procedure. Even small mistakes or someone overlooking just one important detail can result in patient injuries.

A seven-year-old girl was admitted by her parents to the Jersey Shore University Medical Center with a severe case of pneumonia in 2008. After undergoing surgery, the girl was placed on a ventilator to help her breath while she was sedated. Several days later, she was taken off of the ventilator, but she was still under sedation and unable to breathe on her own. Not long after being taken off of the machine, the young girl went into cardiac arrest. Doctors were able to restart her heart, but not before she suffered permanent brain damage.

The patient, now 16, suffered damage to the part of her brain that is responsible for processing information. Now, she has a full-time aide to help her every day during school. The family’s attorney also stated that in addition to being affected socially the patient’s future education was impacted by this injury. The jury found the medical center guilty of negligence. The girl and her family were awarded a total of $17 million dollars in a medical malpractice suit against the medical center for pain and suffering, loss of future earnings, and medical expenses.

Patient injuries caused by negligence or by mistakes made by medical staff can have long-term effects on both the patients and their families. Louisiana residents who believe themselves to be a victim of medical malpractice may consider contacting an attorney in order to determine what compensation they might be entitled to. Clients may be entitled to compensation for loss of income, pain and suffering, or medical expenses.

Source: app.com, “Jury awards $17M to Wall girl brain damaged at Jersey Shore Med Center“, Kathleen Hopkins, Oct. 27, 2017