Doctors in Oregon and across the entire country have a tremendous amount of responsibility. They must have thorough knowledge of a vast variety of ailments, medicines and body systems. They must be meticulous in their diagnosis, treatment, communication and record-keeping. If any one of these items is neglected in any way someone’s health can be compromised and the doctors may be held financially accountable. That is what happened to a doctor in another state who found himself accused of medical negligence in a wrongful death case.
The doctor saw a 55-year-old patient who complained of a rash on his left ankle and severe pain in his right knee. The patient had already been seen by different physicians at the practice three times within the previous month for the rash and was on medication they prescribed. This doctor treated the man for degenerative arthritis and gout and ordered multiple blood tests. The following morning the patient was taken to the emergency room where it was discovered he suffered from sepsis and was in multi-organ failure. The man’s condition was so bad that he passed away later the same day.
It’s a “he said, she said” trial regarding a number of claims. The family of the man insists that the doctor failed to review test results showing that the man had a serious infection and failed to send him to the hospital for treatment. Although the doctor failed to document that this was done on the patient’s medical record, he claims he did call the patient, urged him to go to the hospital and even offered to have an ambulance pick him up. He claims the patient refused to go due to financial reasons.
The claims against the doctor included medical negligence as well as wrongful death. Last week the two parties reached a settlement of an undisclosed amount, which ended the trial early. Regardless of what the family’s settlement is, no amount of money can bring their loved one back. Hiring an experienced attorney can help someone who has experienced the tragedy of medical negligence be able to calmly and strategically navigate their legal options within the Oregon court system and pursue recovery of compensation for the losses they have endured.