After having surgery in 2013, Glenford Turner discovered the Veterans Affairs hospital in Connecticut had unknowingly sent him home with a special gift. Four years later Turner went in for an MRI for a separate medical issue. Doctors quickly found a sharp metal instrument had been left inside the man’s body. The machine’s magnetic field made the five-inch scalpel handle move in his stomach. According to a study cited by the Washington Post, in the United States, approximately 4,500 and 6,000 times per year a foreign object is left behind during a procedure.
Proving medical malpractice in Kentucky
Medical negligence can result from actions or omissions that are seen as below the industry standard of care for medical professionals. In Kentucky, the following instances are examples of medical malpractice from a provider:
- Failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis of a disease
- Failure to treat or improper treatment of a medical issue
- Prescription for the wrong medication/ dose
- Causing injuries to patient’s child during the birthing process
How long do you have to report medical negligence claims?
A patient has up to one year to the date of the injury, that resulted from the medical malpractice, to file a claim. Should the trauma be discovered at a later time, the patient has one year to the date of the newfound injury to enter a complaint against a health care professional within the state of Kentucky.
Substandard care can lead to an array of problems that go beyond physical health. Kentucky law recognizes the need for the recovery of economic, noneconomic and punitive damages. The injuries sustained from medical malpractice can take years to heal and some never recover. However, in the best of cases, men like Glenford Turner miraculously live to tell their tale.
