Surgical Mistake: Lawsuit Filed After Wrong Rib Removed

On behalf of Hastings Law Firm P.C. posted in Surgical Error Law Firms in Texas on Monday, March 21, 2016.

Two surgeons, a hospital and medical school were named as defendants in a lawsuit that was filed in another state earlier this month. In the claim, a 60-year-old woman alleges a surgical mistake was made and then concealed. It states that a second surgery was required to correct the error, and the defendants lied about the reason for the second procedure.

According to court documents, the plaintiff’s eighth rib had to be removed because it had a cancerous lesion. To ensure the removal of the affected rib, it was marked with metal coils and the area was injected with a skin dye. However, the woman contends that she experienced continuous pain after she regained consciousness, which resulted in an x-ray being done. The x-ray showed that the eighth rib with the metal coils was still in place.

One of the defendant doctors then allegedly falsely informed the patient that not enough of the cancerous rib was removed and a second procedure under full anesthesia was required to remove the rest. The eighth rib along with the metal markers was removed during a procedure on the following day. It is contended that although errors occur and are accepted in some cases, the fact that the defendants tried to cover up the mistake seems worse that the surgical error.

Along with the complaint, a board-certified thoracic surgeon’s statement was filed. This indicated that the misrepresentation showed evidence of medical negligence. The Houston based medical error lawyers at Hastings Law Firm have over a decade of experience handling personal injury cases within the medical industry and across the state of Texas. When a Texas resident suffers the consequences of a surgical mistake, the guidance of an experienced medical malpractice attorney through the legal proceedings of a lawsuit may be invaluable. A lawyer may be able to obtain documented evidence that may not be accessible to the plaintiff but vital for the case. The successful presentation of such a claim may result in a monetary judgment to cover documented losses.

Source: nhregister.com, “Lawsuit against Yale-New Haven claims surgeon removed wrong rib, then lied”, Ed Stannard, March 17, 2016