Negligent hospital ordered to pay millions in damages

Although medical professionals are sometimes negligent in their treatment of Texans, the state’s Medical Board tries to curtail the furtherance of this negligence by punishing those who fail to live up to the standard of care required of them. However, despite these efforts, far too many Texas hospitals fail to abide by the restrictions placed on doctors by the state’s Medical Board. This can result in tragic consequences for unsuspecting patients.
To see an example of just how dangerous this situation can be, one need only look at a recent lawsuit that was one against a Tyler, Texas hospital. There, a jury awarded a man nearly $44 million in damages after a doctor whose hospital privileges had been revoked essentially abandoned the man, depriving the victim of at least a month of his life. According to the lawsuit, the doctor diagnosed the man with inoperable bile duct stones and left the man in a medically induced coma for more than a month. Once a second doctor observed the patient, though, he immediately disagreed with the first doctor and performed corrective surgery without incident.
This doctor was negligent in many ways, including by claiming he conducted tests that he in fact never conducted. However, the jury found that the hospital was 90 percent at fault for the man’s damages due to the fact that it hired and retained the doctor despite his suspension from surgical practices for essentially the same issues that affected the man in this case.
Such careless acts are unacceptable. Yet, it is hard to know how many similar instances are occurring in Texas, as it is too hard to tell how many patients are at risk of harm until it is too late. Those who have been harmed by these negligent doctors and hospitals should consider taking legal action to impose liability and recover the compensation they deserve.