Patient goes to Prince William Hospital for throat surgery, and is discharged a year later with both legs amputated above the knees.
This 60 year old developed throat cancer and was admitted for throat surgery. He expected to be discharged within several days. The throat surgery was successful, and the cancer was removed. However, the day after surgery, the patient underwent bilateral leg amputation. Almost a year later, he was discharged to his home.
The patient was never told why he lost his legs. He contacted Hall and Sickels to find out. The case was handled by Gary Mims and associate Zachary Desmond. After seeking the advice of surgeons from Johns Hopkins and the University of Kentucky, they learned that the patient had peripheral vascular disease before the surgery and that due to the prolonged surgery the arteries that supply blood to the legs became blocked. The symptoms were recognized by the nurses, but were not addressed medically. Timely intervention by a vascular surgeon could have reestablished blood supply and the legs could have been saved.
After vigorously preparing for the case for over a year, the case settled just weeks prior to trial. The settlement was for 1.6 million dollars. This was put into a structured settlement which will provide tax free income to the patient/client for the rest of his life. It will replace his lost income (since he was a laborer and cannot ever work again), to make his home wheel chair accessible and provide for daily transportation and care.