Medical malpractice legal resources provide protections for victims. A Connecticut chiropractor, based about a half an hour north of the Bridgeport area, recently settled a medical malpractice lawsuit. The victim will receive a $940,000 settlement for the care he received from the chiropractor. In his lawsuit, the victim asserted that the chiropractor failed to refer him for an MRI when he showed symptoms of a spinal cord infection. The victim later required spinal cord surgery.
The victim’s medical malpractice lawsuit further asserted that the doctor was medically negligent by performing six chiropractic manipulations rather than referring the patient for an emergency MRI after the medical symptoms the victim presented with indicated the victim was suffering from a serious medical condition. The victim had a 2-month history of back pain and intermittent fevers. As a result, lab work was ordered for the victim by the chiropractor and revealed an elevated indicator for inflammation in the body.
According the lawsuit, the lab results indicated that the victim had a serious medical condition. Unfortunately, the chiropractor missed the red flag and continued to work on the victim for a week. Following the victim’s first visit to the chiropractor, 8 days later, he went to an emergency room with midabdominal numbness radiating down both legs. The MRI that was performed revealed he had an epidural abscess that was compressing his spinal cord. He had to have immediate spinal cord surgery and spent months in in-patient and out-patient rehabilitation therapy to re-learn how to walk.
It was proven that the week-long delayed diagnosis resulted in a worsened condition for the victim, as a timely diagnosis would have likely resulted in the condition being treated with antibiotics before it worsened to spinal compression, numbness and paralysis and one expert noted that the chiropractor’s care fell below the standard of care. The victim was able to recover damages for lost wages and other damages. Medical malpractice claims provide a legal option for victims of medical malpractice to seek compensation for the physical, financial and emotional damages they have suffered which is an important legal remedy to be familiar with.
