Thousands of Maryland residents and other patients elsewhere undergo back surgery every year. Those suffering from various back ailments often hope that surgery will provide relief from their constant pain and discomfort. Instead of relief, however, alleged mistakes during a back surgery left one man in another state confined to a wheelchair. The man filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the surgeon who performed the operation several years ago.
In 2015, a factory worker went to a hospital for an MRI after he had injured his back. The test showed a lesion on his lower back. At the time, the neurosurgeon told the man he would end up in a wheelchair if a procedure was not done soon to remove the lesion. Unfortunately, the MRI was misread, thus prompting the surgical team to operate on the wrong section of the spine.
The lawsuit also claims that sections of healthy tissue from the man’s spine were removed for biopsies. In addition to the surgical mistake, it was discovered that the physician did not communicate the error to the patient. The man also was concerned about the possibility of having cancer due to what the surgeon had told him. These actions resulted in the physician also being sued for fraud since he had concealed and misrepresented information throughout the treatment.
The lawsuit was filed in Wisconsin against the surgeons involved in the procedure. In addition, the medical facility was named in the claim as well as the state’s insurance fund for physicians. Wisconsin has a limit of $750,000 for noneconomic damages in a medical malpractice lawsuit. However, if the fraud claim is successful, an award for punitive damages may go up to double the amount awarded for compensatory damages.
When physicians make mistakes that negatively affect someone’s life, the affected individual may choose to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against them. An experienced Maryland attorney can help families navigate throughout the entire legal process. A knowledgeable lawyer will work diligently to achieve a favorable outcome in the litigation.
