Most people in Oregon would agree that losing an arm or leg can have a significant impact on someone’s life. Suddenly, the person has to learn how to do many routine daily activities differently in order to compensate for the missing limb. The loss of a single limb can have life-altering consequences, so to lose all four limbs is almost unimaginable. This became a reality for a woman in another state who lost both arms and legs after being misdiagnosed at the hospital she went to for treatment. She sued for medical malpractice and has recently been awarded $21 million.
A woman went to a Native American hospital for treatment in 2011, but her condition was misdiagnosed. She was treated for shingles, but she actually had a skin infection and was also in the beginning stages of sepsis. The woman was released only to return to the hospital days later in very serious condition due to septic shock. Her condition deteriorated so badly that she developed gangrene and had to have all four limbs amputated to save her life.
This woman’s medical malpractice claim is different from most in that the facility she visited is a Native American hospital, which is handled differently than claims against other facilities. Native American hospitals are defended by the U.S. Department of Justice. It took seven years from the woman’s initial misdiagnosis, but she and the Department of Justice finally reached an agreement. She was recently awarded $21 million for the horrible consequences she endured as a result of the hospital’s misdiagnosis. She said that the compensation she received will go toward prosthetics and additional surgeries she will need.
Unfortunately, medical mistakes and misdiagnoses are not rare occurrences. Anyone in Oregon who has suffered as a result of a mistake or negligence on the part of a health care provider should contact an attorney to find out what his or her rights are. An experienced attorney can help the victim in pursuing a medical malpractice claim against the doctor or facility and can help him or her obtain compensation for the wrong that was suffered.