A doctor who may have treated patients from Kentucky has been arrested by the FBI for Medicare fraud. The doctor, who worked out of a private practice in Hamilton, Ohio, is accused of billing Medicare for three times as many procedures as the next most active interior lumbar fusion surgeon.
A woman whose daughter was treated by the doctor spoke about the promises he made to her prior to the surgery. The young teenager began experiencing back pain while she was playing volleyball in her freshman year of high school. After unsuccessful attempts at physical therapy, her mother decided to make an appointment with the surgeon. He quickly decided that surgery was the answer to her problem and told the young girl that she would only miss four weeks of school and would soon be playing volleyball again.
After agreeing to the surgery, the mother says her daughter missed eight weeks of school and attended classes part-time for the next eight weeks. She was not able to play volleyball again without significant pain, and she has had multiple complications from the procedure. The girl, who is now 18, is currently seeing a doctor at the Mayfield Clinic. The surgeon from Hamilton could be sentenced to 25 years in prison on Medicare fraud charges.
The mother of the child in this story has joined a class action lawsuit against the surgeon. Due to the surgeon’s negligence, she claims her daughter was not able to enjoy her adolescence. Many people in her situation turn to an attorney with experience handling medical malpractice claims. An attorney may be able to help families hold their incompetent doctors accountable after unnecessary or botched procedures are performed. Families often have the option to file a separate lawsuit with their own attorney or join a class action suit.
If you or someone you love has experienced a serious personal injury or wrongful death due to negligent hospital errors, you have the right to obtain compensation through a Kentucky or Ohio medical malpractice claim. For a completely confidential and free consultation regarding your case, call the experienced Covington and Cincinnati medical malpractice attorneys at TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm today.
Source: Journal News, “Local family joins class action suit against spinal surgeon”, Richard Jones, July 30, 2013