As any Atlanta resident knows who has been in such a position, any time a loved one goes in for surgery, it is always a frightening occurrence; not only because of the surgery itself, but for the chance something could go wrong. However, the magnitude of the error one hospital allegedly made would even shock an Atlanta medical malpractice attorney.
Recently, a patient suffered from an infection called “methicillin-sensitive staphylococcus aureus” or MSSA. It is typically treatable with antibiotics if caught early enough. In fact, the patient’s son also had the infection and had been treated for it a few weeks earlier. However everyone in the hospital, including the physician’s assistant who had seen the patient’s son for the same infection, failed multiple times to diagnose he infection properly. This tragically necessitated a multiple amputation surgery resulting in the loss of the patient’s hands and legs. In addition, this has forced the patient’s wife to leave her job and assist the patient full-time, as he is unable to earn a living.
Medical malpractice is often difficult to deal with, not just for the person who suffers from it, but for the family as well. One primary reason is the loss of income for the victim. For this reason, it is often necessary to bring a medical malpractice lawsuit for compensation. In addition to the medical bills that can be covered, lost wages and lost earning capacity can be pursued as well. Lost wages are often easily calculable by figuring out what the patient would have made but for the injury. Lost earning capacity, however, often requires an expert to show what the patient would have earned the rest of his life. For this reason, it is often best to seek assistance in these calculations.
Suffering from medical malpractice is a life altering occurrence for the victim and the family. A medical malpractice lawsuit is one step towards trying to move on from the event.
Source: The Sacramento Bee, “Man who had arms, legs amputated sues Sutter Health,” Cathy Locke, Nov. 18, 2012