Even though the source article for today’s story isn’t from Georgia, it still serves as an important talking point for medical malpractice. A woman went in for a thyroidectomy in 2014, but the surgeon who performed the procedure on her failed to take adequate steps to prevent severe damage to her larynx and throat. As a result, when the procedure was performed, the woman suffered severe damage and was diagnosed with vocal cord paralysis.
After garnering evidence over the years and awaiting diagnoses about her condition, she sued the surgeon for his malpractice in 2016. The case took another year and a half before recently being resolved. The woman was awarded $5.8 million by a jury in West Virginia, a state that has caps on medical malpractice awards. As a result, the woman will not receive anywhere close to the $5.8 million, but she will be compensated for her pain and suffering.
Medical malpractice caps are controversial for this very reason. Yes, states and institutions will argue that they need to be protected from extravagant awards in medical malpractice cases, but to that we say — don’t screw up a medical procedure in the first place. With caps in place, the only person who is hurt by them is the victim of medical malpractice. And they have already been through enough.
We can only say that if you are in a similar situation to this woman — suffering due to the negligence of a medical professional — then you should talk with an attorney.
Source: Charleston Gazette-Mail, “Bluefield woman awarded nearly $5.8M in medical malpractice suit,” Lacie Pierson, Oct. 3, 2017
