Many Oregon residents have fought in civil court for restitution after being seriously injured by — or losing a family member to — mistakes made by the medical personnel. After what could be a long and hard fought battle to prove that doctor errors caused the harm, the parties held responsible by the court could appeal the case. This often delays the victim’s ability to collect on any monetary judgment awarded as a result of a successful trial.
For instance, in 2014, a jury in another state awarded a widow approximately $2.88 million in a medical malpractice case during which her husband committed suicide. The award was reduced at a later date to $1.67 million. Even so, the doctor and clinic that the jury found responsible for the mistakes appealed the verdict. Recently, the appeals court upheld the verdict.
The Kansas man had gone to the clinic and doctor complaining of back pain that had become chronic. When he was given a steroid injection, the man claimed that it punctured a swollen spot in his back that was infected. This released the infection into his body and spread. It left him with a disease of his central nervous system that was incurable.
These types of doctor errors occur more often than any Oregon resident would like to think. Patients and/or their families fight for the right to receive restitution for serious mistakes made in their treatment. Even if their claims are successful, the receipt of any award could be postponed by appeals from the defendants. It might be a challenge to continue fighting for their rights, but it may well be worth it in the end.
Source: kmuw.org, “Court Upholds Big Verdict In Case Against Overland Park Pain Clinic And Doctor“, Dan Margolies, May 31, 2016