PAIN AND
SUFFERING: The emotional toll
is the worst part of malpractice cases. |
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You've
heard the horror stories over and over: Wrong limbs amputated,
babies left severely brain-damaged, patients dying after
routine procedures. The list goes on and on. To understand the
human toll of medical errors, we've provided a number of
victim stories below - some of which have appeared in the
national media, and some that have not. We hope these will make
you realize that victims' rights MUST NOT be limited by tort
reform. |
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NATIONAL CASES
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1)
Linda's Story: Linda McDougal underwent
a double mastectomy only to be told after the
operation that she never had cancer.
Doctors had mixed up her test results with
those of another patient. (Read
It)
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2)
Hurshell's Story: Hurshell Ralls went in for
bladder cancer surgery and doctors, without testing a
tissue sample first, removed his penis and testicles
because they believed the cancer had spread. (Read
It)
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3)
Jesica's Story: On Feb. 7, 2003,
because of a mistake by her doctors, 17-year-old Jesica Santillan received a heart/lung transplant using organs
from an incompatible donor. (Read
It)
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4)
A Changed Point of View: Dr. John Faulkner
has a different opinion of caps on damages since his
stay-at-home wife, Joan, suffered severe burns and
disfiguring scars during a surgical accident. (Read
It)
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Pa. CAPS CASES
Recovery of damages in the following cases
would be severely limited
by a "cap" on pain and suffering
damages
because there were no economic losses, such as
wages.
5) Frank Thornton's Story: In a
stunning case of medical negligence, doctors
at Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., put a
ventilator tube down 72-year-old Frank
Thornton's esophagus, instead of his windpipe.
During discovery for a lawsuit filed in the
case, Thornton's family
attorney, Joseph Quinn of Kingston, learned that the
physician responsible for the mistake had
failed her licensing exams five times. She
continues to practice today. The case resulted in a
$7 million settlement and a public apology
from Mercy CEO Jim May, and drew national
media attention. (Read
More)
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6)
Heather's Story: 17-year-old Heather Lewinsky’s face
remains scarred for life after a Pittsburgh plastic
surgeon performed radical surgery to correct a small skin
disorder when she
was 8. (Read
It)
OTHER
CAPS CASES FROM Pa.
a) Janet's
Story
b) Kaitlyn's
Story
c) Monica's
Story
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7)
Heart-Wrenching Testimony: Mark Balmer's wife, Patricia, died when
a Scranton surgeon decided to put her emergency surgery on
hold to repair a life-threatening aortic aneurysm. Read
Mark's testimony from a March 2003 hearing before the Pa.
House GOP Majority Policy Committee.
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