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Medical Malpractice Results

• YOUNG GIRL LEFT PARTIALLY PARALYZED AND INCONTINENT FOLLOWING SPINAL SURGERY, HOSPITAL ALTERED RECORD OF TRUE EVENTS
• PATIENT’S GENITALIA BURNED BY CARELESS SURGEON FOLLOWING SURGERY
• CANCER PATIENT SUFFERS AN IV INFILTRATION INJURY TO HIS CHEST WHEN NURSE FAILS TO ENSURE AND MONITOR NEEDLE STABILITY AND PLACEMENT
• MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PATIENT SUFFERS A COMPLETE BOWEL OBSTRUCTION REQUIRING SURGERY AND OSTOMY DUE TO PHYSICIAN’S FAILURE TO APPROPRIATELY TREAT AND MONITOR HER CONDITION
• PATIENT SUFFERS SIGNIFICANT BOWEL DEATH DUE TO HER SURGEON’S FAILURE TO PROMPTLY TREAT A BOWEL LEAK FOLLOWING COLON RESECTION SURGERY
• WRONGFUL DEATH OF PATIENT WHO PRESENTED TO EMERGENCY ROOM COMPLAINING OF CHEST PAIN, SENT HOME WITH DIAGNOSIS OF HYPERVENTILATION

YOUNG GIRL LEFT PARTIALLY PARALYZED AND INCONTINENT FOLLOWING SPINAL SURGERY, HOSPITAL ALTERED RECORD OF TRUE EVENTS

Larry Wall represented a young girl who was left partially paralyzed and incontinent because of medical negligence that occurred during a spinal surgery. The hospital was required to monitor the patient during the surgery by using a somata sensory evoked potential system. SSEP monitoring produces a strip that depicts changes in wave forms of the spinal nerves caused by trauma during surgery. If done correctly, the SSEP strip will warn the surgeon that spinal nerves are being cut before serious damage occurs. A surgeon can never cut a nerve if they are paying close attention to their scalpel and know what they are cutting before they cut it. This case was first tried and lost by another malpractice lawyer. He requested, Larry Wall’s assistance to investigate and to try a fraud case if altered records could be discovered. Together they discovered that the SSEP records were phony. The attorney for the hospital claimed “I believe this case boils down to a misfiling-that we have made a mountain out of a molehill.” Larry Wall filed a Motion for Punitive Damages, which was granted by Judge Paul Clark. Judge Clark said in his ruling that the evidence showed that the hospital “acted with the arrogance of a despot,” and “that what all this evidence shows is a pride that blocks prudence and wisdom.” The case settled after Larry Wall deposed the SSEP technician and shortly after Judge Clark made his findings. Larry Wall received the Consumer Advocate Award from the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association in December 2002 for his work in fighting fraud in hospitals records.

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PATIENT’S GENITALIA BURNED BY CARELESS SURGEON FOLLOWING SURGERY

Larry Wall brought suit against a urologist for burning a female patient following surgery because he was in too big of a hurry to wait for safe irrigating water following the surgery. The patient was burned on the vulva and the perineum. The water is used to clean blood from the surgical site so the surgeon can be certain that the wound is not bleeding. The water needs to be warm since cold water would tend to cause small bleeds to temporarily coagulate. Unfortunately the water must be warmed but the equipment at the hospital had been malfunctioning for some weeks and produced bottles of water that were boiling hot. The nurse warned the doctor that the water was too hot but he ignored her and took the water and poured it over the sensitive areas. The area immediately blistered. The surgeon then left the area and ordered the patient be placed on narcotics for the pain. Unfortunately, the area did not heal and a law suit had to be filed. The client did not want to go to trial because of the embarrassing nature of the wounds. The defendant doctor did not want to go to trial faced with the realization that Larry Wall had interviewed all of the nurses in the operating room and they all were willing to testify to the facts.

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CANCER PATIENT SUFFERS AN IV INFILTRATION INJURY TO HIS CHEST WHEN NURSE FAILS TO ENSURE AND MONITOR NEEDLE STABILITY AND PLACEMENT

Tina Huntington represented a cancer patient who was injured in a Wichita, Kansas medical facility because the nurse failed to adhere to basic safety principles. The nurse ignored the standard of care for IV fusion which requires frequent monitoring and the discontinuation of IV therapy when presented with any signs or symptoms the drug has escaped outside the vein into the tissue. As a result of the nurses negligence, the patient suffered a significant wound to his chest that caused him unnecessary pain and suffering while he was already trying battling cancer. A substantial settlement was secured for the family.

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MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PATIENT SUFFERS A COMPLETE BOWEL OBSTRUCTION REQUIRING SURGERY AND OSTOMY DUE TO PHYSICIAN’S FAILURE TO APPROPRIATELY TREAT AND MONITOR HER CONDITION

Larry Wall represented a mother of two children who suffered from progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Her MS had been successfully treated with a drug known as ACTH. ACTH is a natural hormone that decreases the severity of the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. The client was admitted to Wichita Specialty Hospital. Upon arrival, the nurses told the patient that a doctor on call had prescribed Solumedrol, ® a synthetic hormone instead of ACTH.The doctor falsely told her that the natural hormone was no longer manufactured and was not available. The doctor also told the patient that she had to accept the synthetic hormone in order to remain a patient in the hospital. She accepted and suffered horrible reactions and a blocked bowel. The doctor dismissed her from the hospital with out seeing her and she suffered a complete bowel obstruction which required surgery and an ostomy. Larry Wall obtained expert medical testimony that the natural hormone was available. The entire tragedy could have been avoided if the doctor had told the truth. The case settled for a confidential amount prior to the hearing on a motion for punitive damages.

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PATIENT SUFFERS SIGNIFICANT BOWEL DEATH DUE TO HER SURGEON’S FAILURE TO PROMPTLY TREAT A BOWEL LEAK FOLLOWING COLON RESECTION SURGERY

Larry Wall & Tina Huntington filed suit against a Great Bend surgeon for failure to promptly treat a significant bowel leak following a colon resection surgery. On or about post-op day 3, the patient began to show signs of abdomen distention and a clear lack of bowel sounds. A CT scan of her abdomen, reveals free fluid and air in the abdomen and also notes changes at the sight of the anastomosis (where the colon was reconnected) that could represent a partial bowel obstruction. The patient’s abdomen remains distended over the ensuing days., She continues to be remain uncomfortable and requires morphine and various other medications to treat her pain. The patient spikes a fever and her oxygen saturation level drops as low as 87%. The surgeon then orders abdominal x-rays which again indicate partial obstruction. No surgical intervention is taken that day. The following day, the surgeon orders a barium enema study which again notes a partial obstruction and material is clearly seen leaking from the site of the anastomosis. Another day goes by and the patient’s morphine dosage is increased and despite the fever-reducing effects of the pain medication, she spiked fevers. She is not sleeping well, and her attempt to walk that day ended with dangling her legs over the bedside. Much more alarming, though, is that the patient becomes confused and forgetful on this day, and she is not answering questions appropriately. She is now leaking stool both internally and externally when she gets out of bed. On post-op day twelve, the surgeon finally takes the patient back to surgery and finds her bowel is necrotic (dead) and she is suffering from severe sepsis. The patient’s abdomen is so infected and swollen that closure is not possible. The patient is flown to Wichita with her abdomen still open where she ultimately undergoes multiple abdominal surgeries. Months following the initial surgery, the colostomy was finally taken down and her abdomen was closed. The patient continued to deal with abdominal hernias as a result of the extensive scar tissue and adhesions that remain throughout her abdomen. The case was settled for a confidential amount prior to trial.

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WRONGFUL DEATH OF PATIENT WHO PRESENTED TO EMERGENCY ROOM COMPLAINING OF CHEST PAIN, SENT HOME WITH DIAGNOSIS OF HYPERVENTILATION

Larry Wall & Tina Huntington filed suit on behalf of a Hutchinson family against a physician and emergency room for failure to appropriately assess and treat unstable angina resulting in the patient’s death. The patient (who had heart stints placed just 6 months prior) presented to the emergency room with complaints of chest discomfort. An EKG taken at the emergency room revealed a “possible lateral infarct.” He was diagnosed with upper respiratory infection and hyperventilation and sent home with instructions that advised, “You may feel as though you are going die. This is not going to happen.” and “breathing slowly into a paper bag will help solve the problem.” The patient was dismissed to go home. He and his family left the emergency room and made the less than 10 minute drive to their home. The patient was unable to make it into his house and collapsed on the ledge in front of his home. EMS arrived and administered oxygen but the patient seized and a code blue was called. The patient was taken back to the emergency room, but could not be stabilized and was pronounced dead within an hour. The case was resolved for a confidential sum prior to trial.

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