Updated on: 11/8/2019
Wrong-Side Surgery Error Malpractice
A jury recently awarded $20 million in a wrong site surgery medical malpractice lawsuit against a children’s hospital. The jury need less than two hour to deliberate before returning their $20 million dollar verdict.
In 2004 a young man underwent surgery to remove brain tissue to prevent seizures. Apparently the surgeon operated on the wrong side of the boy’s brain. The doctor, the former chief of pediatric neurosurgery, removed matter from the wrong side of the brain before realizing his mistake. Once he realized the error he moved the operation to the correct half of the body.
Although the hospital admitted the mistake officials made no attempt to settle the lawsuit before trial. The hospital’s medical malpractice insurance provider fought the case vigorously and tried to dispute liability and damages.