Medical professionals are trained to be cautious and thorough, but sometimes mistakes happen. One man in Pennsylvania has learned about medical mistakes the hard way. A recent news story tells the man's story of a surgical error and the lawsuit that followed.
The man had gone to a surgeon after dealing with pain in his right testicle for 15 years. The surgeon recommended removal of the painful testicle, but when the surgery was performed, he accidentally removed the left testicle. The man sued the doctor after the mistake that left him still suffering with extreme pain in the remaining testicle and without the fully functioning testicle that was removed in error.
A court found the doctor to be "recklessly indifferent" and did not accept his claim that somehow the testicle had switched sides, causing the error. The injured man was awarded a total of $870,000 for pain, suffering and punitive damages. The physician is no longer employed by the J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital in Huntington where the surgical error occurred. The man is reportedly very fearful of seeking any additional treatment for his painful testicle, and if he does eventually require removal of the other one, he will have to undergo testosterone treatment for the remainder of his life.
In Pennsylvania, patients are protected against the careless or negligent actions of physicians. Persons who have been harmed by medical malpractice typically have the right to take action to seek awards for damages caused by the negligence of physicians or surgeons. A lawyer can be of great help to injured persons (or families of deceased patients) who are interested in filing a lawsuit for medical malpractice due to a surgical error.
Source: wspa.com, "Man awarded $870,000 after doctor removes wrong testicle", June 17, 2017