Victims of medical malpractice suffer multiple times through the ordeal. First: when they go to the doctor for pain or discomfort. In today’s healthcare market, some avoid going to the doctor to limit how much they have to pay in bills or deal with bad news; to feel the need to go to the doctor likely means they lived with their malady as long as possible. Secondly: victims believe that they are being treated to the best of the doctor’s ability and in good faith. They find out the most difficult way that there was a problem in treatment and that they have the same, an unknown underlying, or additional, affliction. Thirdly: they have to continue to live with an exacerbated malady while likely losing the ability to provide for themselves or their families. It is no simple battle to deal with legal teams of medical organizations, so it always wise to hire a Texas medical malpractice lawyer if you feel you were the victim of negligent care. When settlements are ultimately reached, the payments are often high to cover damages, both physical and mental. A recent Texas medical malpractice verdict awarded the victim the highest payout of 2018.
East Texas Medical Center, based in Tyler, and one of its doctors was found guilty of gross negligence. The patient/plaintiff, who was 61 years old at the time, went to the hospital in 2014 for stomach pains and vomiting where he was treated by a doctor who had recently been placed on probation by the Texas Medical Board. Based on his probation alone, the patient’s Texas medical malpractice attorneys argued that the doctor should not have been allowed to diagnose. However, he was allowed to practice and misdiagnosed the patient with a condition that would bar him from receiving a surgery to remove bile duct stones. The patient was then put in a medically induced coma for a month before the hospital sought a second opinion; the second physician disagreed with the initial diagnosis and ordered the surgery.
Last year, the plaintiff was awarded $43 million consisting of $18+ million for pain, loss of earning capability, and expenses as well as $25 million for damages due to the risk the hospital put patients in for negligent practice. The next highest medical malpractice payment was $7.6 million, putting into scope the gravity and severity of this particular case.
Medical malpractice and negligence to provide adequate care carries massive risks as it can ruin patients lives, or result in their deaths. When we go to the doctor, we expect nothing less than excellent care and almost all physicians and health organizations strive to deliver that caliber of care; however, sadly, there are many cases of things not going to plan. In the story we’ve just gone over, the doctor treating the patient did not do their job properly and caused a great pain to the victim. The hospital also should have mitigated any risks by barring the doctor from seeing patients and offering diagnoses. In the event that you or a loved one believe that you are the victim of medical malpractice and negligence, your first step should be to hire a lawyer to guide you through the process of seeking damages and finding a second opinion to ensure your health. Contact us today for more information.