An Ohio jury found a medical laboratory and two healthcare organizations liable for the spread of a serious brain infection that resulted in a young man’s paralysis. At Piscitelli Law Firm, we understand how critical it can be for you or your family to obtain compensation to help manage lifelong injuries caused by medical negligence.
When the young man’s parents sought medical treatment for their son’s ear infection, his initial visit led to a misdiagnosis, mistakes and a lack of patient monitoring that resulted in brain injury and paralysis of his entire body. As reported by The Athens News, jurors awarded the teen damages worth approximately $44 million due to negligence on the part of a diagnostic lab, two medical organizations and a certified nurse practitioner. Left paralyzed with little more than the ability to move his eyes, the teen may require treatment and assistance for the rest of his life.
The young man initially required testing for an ear infection. The CNP drew a specimen for forwarding and testing at a diagnostic lab, which should have provided his test results within two hours. The lab, however, erred and instead sent the test results back to the nurse practitioner six days later.
Not only should the lab have returned the completed test results much sooner on the requested two-hour STAT basis, the nurse practitioner should have followed up with the lab over the delayed results. The teen’s brain injury occurred when bacteria from his ear infection had time to spread throughout his brain. During this time, he may have benefitted from surgery to reduce the swelling and pressure on his brain, which the medical facility also failed to monitor and treat.
Our page on medical malpractice provides information on how you can seek relief for damages, cost of care and a loss of the ability to enjoy life.
About the Author: Frank Piscitelli
As a first-generation Italian in the United States, Frank is no stranger to tough times. His father’s family moved to Cleveland from Italy on May 22, 1958, with a few articles of clothing, some personal items and very little money. His family shared a home with three other related families but happily worked long hours doing jobs that involved physical labor, just to put food on the table. There was the promise of hope and opportunity, which was missing before his family moved here.
