(845) 802-0047When parents take their children to the hospital, they expect that they will be in good hands; that their child’s condition will be properly diagnosed and treated. One Texas family has filed a lawsuit against the hospital, Midland Memorial Hospital, which treated her for failure to provide her with the medical attention she needed. The family claims that the hospital staff said that she was going to get better. However, their daughter, Hannah, did not.
Between July 30 and August 6 of 2011, Hannah made multiple visits to Midland Pediatric Associates and the Midland Memorial Hospital emergency room for abdominal pain, fever, racing heartbeat, and other symptoms. However, the doctors at the hospital failed to identify her condition as appendicitis.
When the appendix becomes inflamed (a condition known as appendicitis) prompt surgery is required to remove the appendix. If appendicitis is left untreated, the inflamed appendix will burst, or perforate, and infectious materials will spill into the abdominal cavity. Once this happens, a serious inflammation of the abdominal cavity’s lining, known as peritonitis, can result. This can be fatal unless it is quickly treated with antibiotics.
On August 5, 2011, Hannah was transported by air to Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock. Once there surgery was performed. Three quarts of puss was removed from her stomach by doctors, as a result of a ruptured appendix. During the emergency surgery, Hannah suffered multiple cardiac arrests. At one point during the surgery, doctors needed to conduct CPR for 45 minutes. After all of this, Hannah ended up with permanent brain damage and she also lost her leg.
Hannah’s family is seeking a significant award. The cost of her past medical care is over $1.6 million and her future care is projected to be over $40 million. However, there is a governmental cap of $100,000 for Midland Memorial Hospital. In this case, such a small amount will not be nearly enough compensation.
Her parents say that this experience has scarred Hannah for life and they want justice for their daughter as she will be dependent on her parents for the rest of her life.
But what do you think? I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment or I also welcome your phone call on my toll-free cell at 1-866-889-6882 or you can drop me an e-mail at jfisher@fishermalpracticelaw.com. You are always welcome to request my FREE book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, at the home page of my website at www.protectingpatientrights.com.