Louisiana parents will likely attest to feeling some distress during a time when their child was in pain or discomfort of some sort and required medical intervention. When such situations occur, a parent not only hopes that a medical professional will take quick action to remove the pain, but also that he or she will deliver a proper diagnosis to get to the root of the problem in a timely manner. This way, the necessary treatment can begin before the situation worsens. Unfortunately, a family in another state did not encounter this type of experience when they took their 4-year-old to a doctor for testicular pain, and the parents recently filed a medical malpractice lawsuit.
According to court filings, the mother took her young son to the emergency room in June 2016 with testicular pain, among other symptoms. The doctor diagnosed him with constipation and, according to the lawsuit, did not examine his testicles. Two days later, the mother returned to the hospital with the boy, and after doctors examined his testicles using ultrasound, he was found to have problems, including left testicle torsion. The Kids Health website states that this situation requires immediate surgery in order to save the testicle. Following the diagnosis, the child was sent to another hospital where he underwent surgery to remove the testicle.
According to the lawsuit, the hospital’s vice president for risk management sent an apology letter to the parents about one month after the surgery. The suit names several defendants, including the medical center and the doctor, and it asks for damages in excess of $25,000. The hospital has declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Every parent hopes never to have to endure a serious health scare with their child, and if such a situation does arise, that with the expertise of medical professionals, the problem will be eradicated with little difficulty and no lasting effects. In this case, however, a young boy has likely endured unnecessary pain and perhaps unnecessary surgery due to what appears to have been a misdiagnosis. As these parents have done, people who have experienced a similar situation may wish to pursue legal action by contacting a Louisiana medical malpractice attorney. He or she can review individual case details and determine if a civil lawsuit is a viable course of action.
