Across the country, doctors and other medical providers deliver excellent care to thousands of patients every day. Unfortunately, there are times when the standard of care slips for providers in Arizona and other states. Errors or issues can occur when providers are overwhelmed, under trained, understaffed, or are using inappropriate equipment. A woman in another state is suing the doctor who performed her foot surgery, claiming that the procedure did not meet applicable standards of care.
According to the lawsuit, the woman saw the doctor in November 2011. She presented at that time with a right foot injury. The lawsuit says that the injury did require surgery, but the woman contends that fractures and issues with her joints were not appropriately addressed during the surgery.
The lawsuit is asking for an amount in damages that is undisclosed. The medical malpractice suit was filed in a county court in a nearby state on Feb. 6. The doctor was named as the defendant in the case. At this time there are no details about the exact allegations of malpractice.
Arizona residents who don’t feel like medical treatment or attention is living up to the appropriate standard of care have many options. Seeking a second opinion or changing providers is probably the first thing many people would do if they felt like their provider was careless, inexperienced, or not knowledgeable. In some cases, however, the damage of substandard care is already done.
Whether inappropriate care directly caused physical or mental damage, or substandard care led to a worsening condition that proper treatment could have prevented, individuals do have recourse. Understanding options for seeking compensation is the first step in taking control of such a situation.
Source: The Southeast Texas Record, “Ineffective foot surgery leads to malpractice suit for League City doctor” Thomas Kallies, Feb. 11, 2014