Delayed treatment of neck injury leads to quadriplegia
After being thrown from her horse, our client was taken to the emergency room of a large eastern Washington hospital. The neurosurgeon who was called in to evaluate her neck injury failed to assess her condition properly and unreasonably delayed performing surgery to relieve pressure on the spinal cord, causing our client to become paralyzed from the neck down. After a trial that lasted seven weeks, a jury awarded a substantial verdict.

Surgical errors and poor follow-up causes double leg amputations
During surgery to repair an abdominal aneurysm, the surgeon cut an artery by mistake, almost causing the client to bleed to death. After the surgery, the surgeon then failed to heed signs pointing to impaired blood flow in the patient's legs until it was too late to save the client from having both legs amputated above the knee. A substantial settlement was obtained.

Misuse of vacuum extractor device leads to death of baby
When the family practice doctor was unable to deliver our client's baby after a long second stage, he tried using a vacuum extractor, which is a device sometimes used in place of forceps. The physician disregarded the instructions and warnings that accompanied the device, pulling too hard for too long instead of consulting immediately with an obstetrician or arranging for a c-section. The baby suffered massive injuries to his head which led to his death a few days later. A settlement with the family practice doctor was achieved.

Failure to diagnose diabetes results in death of teenage boy
Our client went to his regular clinic with a history of weakness, excessive thirst, and recent weight loss- all classic symptoms of juvenile onset diabetes. The physician's assistant who examined him failed to get an adequate history and did not order appropriate tests which would have led to treatment, and sent him home with a diagnosis of a virus. The physician who should have been overseeing the P.A.'s work failed to review the decision. The patient died of diabetic ketoacidosis two days later.

Brain damage due to anaesthesia mistake during aneurysm repair
During surgery to repair a cerebral aneurysm, the anaesthesiologist lowered the patient's blood pressure too far and for too long, resulting in permanent brain damage that caused severe personality change and loss of cognitive function in 68-year-old man. Our investigation revealed that the neurosurgeon and the anaesthesiologist had failed to communicate before and during the surgery, which led to a misunderstanding about the level at which to maintain the patient's blood pressure during the procedure.

Delay in diagnosing and treating twisted bowel results in
permanent injury to infant
At the age of 6 weeks, our client developed a condition called volvulus, which is a twisting of the intestines that can be corrected by surgery. The family doctor suspected the problem and immediately took the baby to the pediatric intensive care unit of a major hospital. The doctors there delayed performing the necessary tests and waited until the next day to perform the surgery. As a result, a large portion of the baby's intestines had to be removed, leaving the child permanently unable digest food. He will be required to obtain nutrients through a catheter for the rest of his life and perhaps to need a bowel-liver transplant. The settlement will ensure that all of his medical needs will be met and that he will be as comfortable as money can make him.

Failure to diagnose pulmonary embolism causes
death of 45-year-old man
Our client had a history of blood clots in his legs (deep vein thrombosis) which had been treated with blood thinners (Coumadin). When he suddenly experienced severe shortness of breath, he went to his family doctor, who diagnosed an upper respiratory infection or asthma, and sent him home without performing any tests. The client died the next morning. An autopsy disclosed a massive pulmonary embolism, which could have been treated if diagnosed the day before. A significant settlement for his surviving spouse and children was achieved.

Other cases
A partial list of the medical errors we have investigated would include the following, in addition to those described above:

- Emergency room failure to diagnose heart attack          

- Death of mother from hemorrhage after c-section delivery

- Botched laparoscopic hernia repair resulting in bowel injury and death

- Common bile duct injuries during lap-choly

- Mishandled complications after laparoscopic gall bladder surgery

- Delay in diagnosis of spinal epidural abscess, resulting in paraplegia

- Improper technique in laparoscopic gastric bypass (obesity) surgery, leading to death

- Improper surgical technique in bowel surgery, leading to infection and death

- Birth trauma, including cerebral palsy and brachial plexus injuries, due to improper delivery technique or failure to perform c-section

- Leg shortening and deformity due to orthopedic surgeon's failure to set broken leg properly

- Delayed diagnosis of breast cancer

- Nursing error in not securing catheter tubing, leading to death from air embolism

- Excessive prescribing of antibiotics causing colitis, leading to bowel resection

- Inadequate monitoring of antibiotics, leading to permanent hearing loss

- Stroke caused by chiropractic manipulation