On Friday a patient filed a case against the Columbia Hospital and the doctors that were involved in their treatment in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court for Broward County, Florida. The patient alleged negligence and malpractice in the treatment and follow up regarding the patient’s care and procedures.
The plaintiff presented themselves to the hospital with a history of muscular dystrophy and current symptoms of shoulder and arm pain, numbness in the fingers, weakness and gait issues. Some diagnostic testing was ordered, but no examination was made of the patient’s neck and the patient was discharged with instructions to follow up with their primary care doctor.
The patient returned to the hospital and reported similar symptoms a week later and this time an examination of the neck was performed, showing stenosis and other issues with the spinal cord causing compression. Two neurologists were consulted and surgery was performed, but the plaintiff noted that the procedure was not sufficient and the doctors did not order the after care testing to confirm if the treatment was sufficient.
The plaintiff was discharged from the hospital, but returned to the facility 2 weeks later still showing symptoms. One of the neurologists examined the patient, but did not recognize that further surgical intervention was required. The patient saw the other neurologist on a further follow up visit, but the first neurologist did not provide the information from the previous visit and the second neurologist also failed to recognize the need for further surgery.
Eventually, the plaintiff visited a third neurologist, who intervened and corrected the remaining compression, however permanent damage was done due to the delay in treatment caused by the previous failures to recognize the necessary treatment.
The patient listed claims for malpractice, failure to diagnose, failure to order proper examinations, failure to obtain proper consent, failure to adequately supervise, and negligence.
The plaintiff is represented by the firm of Lawlor White & Murphy and the firm of Abramowitz Pomerantz & Morehead PA.
