Texas medical malpractice

According to news reports, 53 year old David Fitzgerald, was admitted to RHD Memorial Medical Center in Farmers Branch, Texas back in 2003 for ulcer surgery. However, while he was admitted, he developed an infection known as MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Although doctors at RHD gave him eight separate antibiotics to treat the infection, they didn’t give him the correct one. Before they realized their mistake, gangrene had set in and Fitzgerald had to have both of his arms removed below the elbow and both of his feet below the kneecaps.

He sued RHD and several of its doctors for medical malpractice and a jury awarded him $17.5 million -- $10 million of that for his mental anguish and pain and suffering. Unfortunately, non-economic damages in Texas are capped at $250,000, so Fitzgerald may only be able to recover $7.5 million that the jury awarded for economic damages such as lost wages, medical bills and future care.

What is MRSA?

MSRA is an infection that was only discovered in the early 1960’s, but because it is generally immune to many antibiotics, it has become known as the super bug – and is often equated with the unsanitary conditions of hospital environments. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention estimates that upwards of 18,000 people die from MRSA every year.

While most hospitals give us with the impression of being sterile, the truth is that many are not. If fact, anti-bacterial gels used in hospitals often don’t ward off MRSA and large percentages of hospital workers are said to carry the infection. Several bills have been introduced in Congress concerning MRSA and hospital staff infections and at least 25 states now have laws pertaining to the issue. While hospitals and medical centers should have plans in place to deal with and control MRSA, the majority do not.

For additional information on MRSA, go to www.stophospitalinfections.org/.

If you’ve been injured due to a hospital’s negligence, contact an experienced Texas medical malpractice attorney to discuss your situation and evaluate your options.