Every day, thousands of Kentucky patients place their lives in the hands of capable physicians and surgeons Patients trust that these skilled professionals will read charts correctly and conduct the appropriate tests and/or evaluations prior to an exam or procedure. However, doctors are human and humans will make mistakes. A family in another state filed a medical malpractice lawsuit after a man was left permanently injured after a surgical procedure.
According to the lawsuit, the man was a prominent cardiac surgeon and developed back problems. After a routine surgery, the lawsuit said the man was intravenously given Dilaudid, which is a powerful pain killer. Allegedly, the man’s chart warned that he had a low tolerance for narcotics. The lawsuit said the man went into respiratory failure only minutes after being given the Dilaudid. Reportedly, providers gave him a dose of Narcan, which reverses the effects of Dilaudid, but waited more than 15 minutes to do so.
By the time the man received the Narcan, he had went into cardiac arrest and suffered a brain injury that left him in a coma, the plaintiffs allege. The experience caused the man to suffer permanent brain injuries and left him in a vegetative state, the lawsuit said. The plaintiffs accuse the defendants of negligence and seek damages between $15 and $20 million.
Although modern technological advancements have made medical care much safer, errors still occur at an alarming rate. Those in Kentucky who have suffered injuries or the loss of a loved one as a result of medical malpractice can take legal action. A successful claim could result in damages to recover any financial losses that may have occurred due to this experience.