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PROVEN LOCAL LAWYERS
HELPING YOU RECOVER

Mix-up at hospital leaves veteran with no medical attention

by | Sep 27, 2019 | medical malpractice

People rely on their health care providers in Kentucky to take adequate time to diagnose their condition, make recommendations that take into account their medical history and provide medical attention in a compassionate and reliable manner. Malpractice in the form of ignorance, carelessness or miscommunication can put patients at risk of injury or even death.

One man in South Carolina recently won a significant lawsuit against Veteran Affairs after experiencing a traumatizing case of medical malpractice at a VA hospital. The ordeal began when the veteran sought medical attention for serious stomach pains that had been bothering him for some time. After completing a urine sample, the hospital’s staff informed him that he had traces of cocaine in his sample and that his stomach pains were a direct result of his drug use.

The man contended that he did not use drugs, but was informed by a staff member that he would not be treated. Instead, he was encouraged to go home and discontinue his use of the drugs. When the stomach pains persisted, the man sought medical treatment at another hospital where it was discovered that he had issues with both his gallbladder and pancreas. The subsequent diagnosis resulted in surgery to provide relief of his symptoms. Later on, it was found that the VA hospital had mishandled the urine samples of their patients and it was likely that the man’s sample was mixed up with someone else’s who was in fact a cocaine addict. In a recent settlement, the man received $150,000 in response to a lawsuit he had filed against the VA hospital.

If people are experiencing the consequences of having been poorly treated at a medical facility, they may wish to enlist the help of an experienced attorney. With professional legal help, people may have a better chance of proving that the negligence of medical staff resulted in emotional and physical damage.

Source: Fox News, “VA settles with Navy vet for $150G in malpractice lawsuit: report,” Melissa Leon, Sept. 24, 2019