When a doctor makes a mistake, it can result in a serious health problem or even death.

Spinal cord injury subject of new lawsuit

On Behalf of | Jul 21, 2018 | Hospital Negligence |

While certainly many people across the United States may have heard about the new mother who gave birth to her baby and ended up a paraplegic in a Canadian hospital two years ago, residents in Washington State may have been even more aware of the situation due to the proximity to Vancouver, British Columbia. Now, that mother has filed a lawsuit in the case that has left her to live the rest of her days in a wheelchair.

As reported by the Vancouver Sun, the suit focuses on the actions of the doctor who administered a spinal anesthetic prior to a Caesarean section being performed to deliver the baby. The physician who gave the woman the medicine is said to have failed to discuss the risks with the patient or to get her consent to receiving the medication. In addition, improper administration of the drug is highlighted as is the use of equipment that was not sterile. It is not known which items may have not have been sterile.

The doctor in question today works and treats patients in Uganda and reportedly did not have the qualifications to receive a fellowship at the hospital in Vancouver where the baby was born. Another doctor is also identified as negligently leaving the first doctor unattended or unsupervised regardless of knowing that there was an issue with the ability to properly discuss matters with the mother and her husband.

Also noted in the lawsuit is the failure of any personnel to inform the woman that an error or injury had occurred yet the woman who was healthy before delivery today is a paraplegic.