Many Delaware high school students consider the prom a right of passage. Many spend hours planning and prepping for the memorable night. One girl in a nearby state attended her prom but could not dance with her peers. The victim of surgical errors, she spent months in a wheelchair and undergoing therapy.
During her senior year of high school, the now 22-year-old was diagnosed with a bone tumor in one of her legs. Although it was not believed to be cancerous, she and her physicians determined it should be removed. Prior to the removal, her physician performed a needle biopsy of the tumor. Needle biopsy samples are used to confirm or determine a diagnosis of an unusual growth. During the procedure, one of the girl’s nerves was damaged.
In addition to affecting her senior prom and graduation, the injury ended her tennis career. Reportedly, she was a talented tennis player, and despite therapy, she has not been able to play again. She has since had the tumor removed by a different physician but reports chronic pain as a result of the tumor. With the assistance of an attorney, she filed a medical malpractice lawsuit in civil court. The jury agreed that her physician was negligent in his treatment, and awarded the young woman a $1.2 million monetary judgment.
When people have a surgical procedure, they typically anticipate an improved quality of life following a surgery. Instead, unexpected surgical errors can result in a decreased quality of life, unnecessary pain and expensive medical treatment. Anyone that suspects they may have suffered as a result of negligence of another could benefit from an attorney’s review of his or her medical records. An attorney Delaware can advise victims of their legal options to seek recovery of financial losses in civil court.
Source: nj.com, “Student forced to attend prom in wheelchair awarded $1.2M in malpractice case“, Jessica Mazzola, Oct. 30, 2017