Failure to Treat Surgical Infection Leads to $2.3 Million Verdict

We all know infection is a possible consequence of any surgical procedure. That is why most surgeons are meticulous in checking for infections in post-surgical settings. However, when an infection does occur but is not treated that may be a case of medical malpractice. That’s what a Rockland County NY concluded when it awarded a patient $2.3 million in a surgical infection malpractice case. According to the New York Legal Examiner, “In this case, the plaintiff claimed he went to Hudson Valley Radiology Associations for an MRI in 2010. He was given a routine injection that he believes caused a later infection. Days later, he had a culture done at Nyack Hospital. He was later released. The plaintiff’s medical malpractice lawyer stated that the culture test showed a serious infection. Healthcare practitioners failed to react in a timely manner and sent the plaintiff home rather than treating the infection. Two days later, he was rushed back to the hospital. By that time, he claims the infection had caused significant damage to his hip. Three months later, he had to go through hip replacement surgery. As a construction worker, he now faces significant wage loss. According to the complaint, the head of Nyack Hospital’s orthopedic surgery unit was negligent in failing to treat the infection.”