$9.75 Million Medical Negligence
On March 24, the two year old Minor Plaintiff was admitted to the Defendant Hospital under the care of the Defendant pediatric urologist, due to bilateral vesicoureteral reflux urine backing up her ureter into the kidneys causing urinary tract infections. The Defendant surgically reimplanted the ureters on both sides to prevent the reflux of urine. Subsequently, the Plaintiff’s parents were informed that the procedure was successful and the Infant Plaintiff was discharged to her home with her parents on March 26.
The Infant Plaintiff experienced subsequent urinary tract infections and, as a result, underwent a renal ultrasound which demonstrated a blockage on the left ureter. The Plaintiffs alleged that these Defendants negligently failed to act on this information. Employees of the Defendant Hospital “lost” the ultrasound and failed to convey the results and hospital personnel who ordered the ultrasound failed to follow-up to obtain the results of the examination.
Finally, a year later, on April 27, the Defendant urologist discovered that the Infant Plaintiff’s condition had gone unrecognized and untreated. The Infant Plaintiff underwent a repeat renal ultrasound which demonstrated the blockage which had been present for approximately a year. Subsequently, a nuclear renal scan confirmed that the kidney was not functioning at all due to ongoing, chronic back-up of urine.
As the result of the negligence of the Defendants, the Infant Plaintiff permanently lost all function in her left kidney and suffers with compromised function in her right kidney. Accordingly, the Infant Plaintiff will require dialysis in the future, as well as kidney transplants.