Idaho Stroke Patient Awarded Second-Largest Medical Malpractice Award in State’s History

An Idaho man and stroke survivor who was provided with inadequate medical treatment was awarded $13.5 million in damages by an Idaho jury earlier this year in April. MDLinx reports that the Ada County, Idaho jury award is the second-largest medical malpractice award awarded in the state.

The case began when medical malpractice plaintiff Carl B. Stiefel arrived at the emergency room at the Emergency Medicine of Idaho hospital, suffering from the symptoms of the stroke. According to reports, Stiefel was seen by an emergency room physician 11 minutes after his arrival, and a CT scan was performed, which did not show concerning signs. At that time, Steifel was diagnosed with “benign positional vertigo”, and his symptoms were not improving. After the CT, it took a whopping 3 hours for Steifel to be moved to a room for medical observation, and he received no “meaningful” care during those hours he spent in the emergency room. When Stiefel finally received an MRI, hours later, it showed that he was having a stroke and had torn an artery in his neck. Due to the prolonged wait time, Stiefel alleged that his condition had already worsened by the time he had surgery. Stiefel ultimately spent weeks in the hospital after two days of surgery and developed bacterial meningitis as a complication of the surgery. As a result of the inadequate medical care, Stiefel was rendered disabled and unable to return to work.

Importantly, Idaho medical malpractice laws typically cap damages awarded to injured plaintiffs in medical malpractice cases to $400,000. However, due to the fact that the conduct of the emergency doctor and the emergency department was found to be beyond negligent, and, in fact, “willful or reckless”, the cap did not apply in Stiefel’s case. Dr. S. Byers, MD, MPH, stated to MDLinx in regards to the case, “Patients who present to emergency rooms with severe headaches are not uncommon. However, it is critical that the doctors evaluating these patients consider the diagnosis of a stroke…Failure to diagnose a stroke in a hospital emergency department on time can have serious and fatal consequences. Delaying necessary treatment may allow the condition to worsen and cause permanent brain damage.”

Help for Medical Malpractice Victims in Louisiana

In Louisiana, under Louisiana medical malpractice laws, patients who have received negligent or reckless medical treatment, and who were injured as a result, may be entitled to compensation for their injuries, including lost wages, pain and suffering, medical expenses, and other compensation. In order to determine whether you may have a case for damages under Louisiana medical malpractice laws, it is best to speak with an experienced Louisiana personal injury lawyer as soon as possible about your rights and options.

If you were injured by your doctor in Louisiana and you are interested in finding out about your rights to potential compensation for your injuries, contact the experienced Louisiana personal injury lawyers at the law firm Lunsford Baskin & Priebe for a free and confidential consultation today.

Source:

mdlinx.com/article/idaho-awards-second-largest-medical-malpractice-settlement-after-a-patient-has-a-stroke-in-the-er/7wbeSrQxYixTF8TG80EAgN