Suspended doctor’s mistakes result in hospital negligence lawsuit

Most Louisiana patients assume that their doctors are in good standing and are practicing medicine with a valid license. Some might be shocked to find that this isn’t always the case. A lawsuit in a neighboring state was recently settled when a jury determined that hospital negligence was committed when a doctor on probation was allowed to continue treating patients.

The patient mentioned who was the lawsuit originally sought treatment for gallstones. However, the treatment he received caused more problems than it solved. It caused him to suffer from a number of injuries, and eventually, the treatment required him to undergo liver transplant surgery. The family’s attorney claimed that the medical center’s bylaws should have been able to prevent this patient’s suffering by not allowing this suspended doctor to continue seeing patients.

Unfortunately, this is not the only case where doctors who are on probation have been allowed to continue to practice medicine. Even after being caught and disciplined for drug abuse on multiple occasions, a pediatrician was allowed to continue to practice. An orthopedic surgeon was allowed to continue treating patients after another patient’s leg was amputated because the surgeon ignored a femur fracture.

Many people believe that doctors who have been put on probation should be obligated to inform their patients since that information is not readily available to them. Knowing that the doctor is on probation has the potential to radically affect the decisions that a patient makes regarding his or her health care. Patients in Louisiana who believe that they have been victims of hospital negligence could benefit from speaking with an attorney. A lawyer may be able to help his or her clients to determine if they have grounds to pursue claims for compensation.

Source: fiercehealthcare.com, “East Texas Medical Center settles negligence case for $9M“, Paige Minemyer, Feb. 2, 2018