Woman Who Left Hospital without Hands or Feet Due to Botched Operation Receives $109 Million Verdict in Medical Malpractice Suit
A Florida woman’s routine trip to the hospital turned into a life-changing nightmare. According to Fox 13, Lisa-Marie Carter, a former Department of Defense analyst finally succeeded in holding her doctor liable for a mistake that required both of her hands and feet to be amputated after two previous trials resulted in hung juries.
Carter sued the surgeon’s employer, the University of South Florida (USF). At the third trial, she was awarded $109 million for damages.
Error-Driven Bacterial Infection Leaves Woman Without Hands or Feet
Carter’s ordeal began in 2010 when she went in for a routine surgery to remove a benign ovarian cyst. During the surgery, the surgeon mistakenly sliced through her small bowel during the surgery. The doctor did not realize it and closed the surgical incision without tending to the intestinal wound. Soon afterward, the incision opened and fluid oozed out. She had low blood pressure and was incoherent.
Days after the surgery, they found that parts of her organs and abdomen were consumed by a flesh-eating bacteria. This led to eight more surgeries in the next twelve days to remove the decaying tissue, which resulted in cutting away parts of her stomach, intestines, and muscle. Eventually, it was discovered that her hands and feet had developed gangrene, and they all had to be amputated. Her forearms and lower legs also had to be cut off. Since the botched operation, Carter has lived in a nursing home where she struggles to learn how to live with prosthetics.
Carter sued USF for medical malpractice and eventually won a jury verdict of $109 million. USF will likely appeal the verdict, but this still represents a long, hard-fought victory for Carter.
Medical malpractice is defined as a negligent act or omission by a health care professional during treatment that causes an injury to a patient. Even though the definition is rather straightforward, it does not fully illustrate the suffering that a victim goes through. To put it simply, medical malpractice often ends in catastrophic injuries that can significantly alter the life of the victim, as in Carter’s case.
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If you or a loved one was seriously injured due to medical malpractice, you need to turn to highly knowledgeable medical malpractice lawyers in Philadelphia like those of Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg & Jeck, P.C. We focus on complex, catastrophic cases and are highly experienced trial attorneys. We will fight for your rights and pursue compensation against negligent health care professionals.
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