Medical malpractice claims are often highly technical and complex. They can require an exceptionally detailed review of medical procedures and decisions, not to mention a thorough understanding of malpractice laws in the state of Kentucky. With this knowledge and exhaustive investigation, it can be possible to identify instances of negligence and/or carelessness.
However, this is not necessarily always the case. In some situations, medical negligence and recklessness is so blatant that any reasonable person can see the mistakes that were made. When malpractice is so egregious, criminal charges may be filed in addition to any civil claims made by victims.
For instance, recently, a woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison for injecting women with non-medical materials, resulting in at least one death. The woman was not a licensed doctor, though she performed cosmetic operations on several patients.
The operations were supposed to enhance the victims’ buttocks and hips. The women who visited her believed that the injections were medical-grade silicone, but instead the injections allegedly contained a lethal cocktail of cement, tire sealant and bathroom caulk. However, to this day, no one is exactly sure of what the fake doctor injected into her unsuspecting patients.
What is known is that the injections caused at least one woman’s buttocks to turn black; she also got very sick and ultimately died of respiratory failure.
The woman, who was convicted of manslaughter, defended her actions, saying she used the injections on herself and never intended to hurt anyone.
However, acting as a medical professional and performing medical operations without proper training and licensing is incredibly irresponsible and reckless. It can cause irreversible damage and, as was the case here, death.
Every instance of medical negligence or recklessness can be grounds for a lawsuit and should be taken very seriously by victims and their families, whether it is blatant or not. There are strict standards and laws in place for a reason, and anyone who violates them should be held accountable for the resulting damage.