January 10, 2014
In 2006, a 58-year-old man donated a kidney to a family member by undergoing a procedure to have the organ removed and implanted in his family member. In the days following the procedure though, the patient developed an infection that nearly claimed his life.
The hospital where the error occurred corrected the mistake by performing another surgery and offering medical care to the victim free of charge; however, the patient had still had lost income and had incurred other expenses as a result of the incident. He attempted to file a lawsuit in the matter, but ran into an issue because no lawyers wanted to take the case.
Ponce Law explain this is a problem that many citizens who have been injured while receiving medical care face. Experts say it all boils down to money. A study conducted last year at Emory University showed that 95 percent of those seeking counsel due to an injury incurred while receiving medical care will be unable to retain a lawyer, primarily due to economic reasons.
An article from ProPublica explains there are massive costs associated with filing a claim against a doctor or hospital, sometimes running into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Without the chances of a large monetary gain, many lawyers will decline to take a case.
The Nashville Personal Injury Lawyers with Michael D. Ponce & Associates believe in helping injured victims in need, and we encourage anyone who was harmed by a medical mistake to discuss his or her case with an attorney.
