A Piscataway, New Jersey man is seeking a new trial against one of the doctors who allegedly performed medical malpractice on his wife, leaving her in a permanent vegetative state. The man previously won a $2.73 million medical malpractice suit against the hospital and two of the other doctors responsible for the failed surgeries that caused the woman’s brain damage. But a judge ruled against the husband in an action against the remaining doctor who refused to settle. The husband is now requesting a new trial based on alleged trial errors.
The lawsuit stems from the wife’s visit to the hospital to remove an ovarian cyst. A subsequent operation was necessary because the doctors accidentally cut her bowels during the surgery. A third visit was necessary to drain an abscess that developed during the prior operation. Several days later, she returned to the hospital to remove a fistula between her colon and bladder. Following this procedure, the doctors gave her a drug used for slowing down abnormally fast heart rates and she had a heart attack and went into a coma-like state as a result. The woman’s husband was forced to retire two years early from his job with the Internal Revenue Service in order to care for his wife.
Surgical errors, such as the one in this case, are the basis for many medical malpractice lawsuits. During operations, doctors can breach their duty of care in any number of ways, including improper use of surgical equipment or by making incisions in the wrong places. These mistakes can cause further injury, or even death.
Anyone injured due to medical malpractice is entitled to recover monetary damages from the responsible party or parties. A victim or the victim’s family can seek compensation for any disability incurred, as well as for lost wages and medical bills. Victims of medical malpractice and their families have the opportunity to hold the defendant accountable for the negligent conduct and to obtain financial compensation for their suffering.
Source: Mycentraljersey.com, “Somerset Medical Center, doctors pay $2.73 million to woman left brain dead,” Sergio Bichao, Sept. 13, 2013.