When most people in Pennsylvania visit an urgent care center, they likely have relatively minor ailments that are easily treated. However, personnel at these facilities must be able to recognize the signs of more serious conditions in order to prevent further harm. One medical malpractice lawsuit claims that because medical care professionals failed to adequately diagnose a woman's condition, she suffered amputations due to flesh-eating bacteria.
Court papers indicate that the woman visited an urgent care facility in May 2015. Although she and her husband claim that her symptoms clearly indicated that she was suffering from sepsis and a serious infection, the doctor and nurse who treated her failed to adequately diagnose her condition. As a result, treatment was delayed for 24 hours.
The lawsuit filed as a result claims that this delay caused serious harm. The woman's legs from just below her knees, right arm from above her elbow and parts of her fingers on her left hand were amputated as a result. Additionally, large portions of flesh were removed from her left side. The couple claims that her past medical expenses total over $1.6 million, with future expenses estimated to be at least $8 million. They are also seeking $2 million in lost wages.
If the allegations made against the doctor and nurse are true, this woman and her family's lives have been significantly altered as a result of negligence. Based on their clams, she may have experienced a different outcome if her infections had been diagnosed earlier. By filing a medical malpractice lawsuit as this couple has done, victims in Pennsylvania can potentially ensure that negligent medical professionals are held accountable for their actions and possibly prevent similar mistakes from being repeated in the future.
Source: forsythnews.com, " Woman with flesh-eating bacteria suing Northeast Georgia Health System ", Aug. 11, 2016