posted
Couple wins $2.45 million in 'spotted fever' suit
A jury has awarded a married couple a combined $2.45 million after they alleged in two lawsuits that a nurse at a Greenville gynecology office failed to treat the wife for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, according to court records filed Monday.
Janey House of Pelzer told nurse Beth Slyder in a visit to Greenville Gynecology Group on July 8, 2002, that she had recently been bitten by a tick and was suffering from fever, severe aches, diarrhea and vomiting, according to her lawsuit.
House and her husband, Larry House, charged in their lawsuits that the defendants failed to examine, diagnose and treat her. The defendants were Slyder, Greenville Gynecology Group and Dr. William Coleman.
The judgments, both against Slyder, awarded Janey House $2.2 million and her husband $250,000, according to court records.
The Houses' attorney, Carl Muller, said the defendants have 10 days to file post-trial motions. The defendants' attorney couldn't be reached for comment.
Janey House's condition worsened in the three days after her July 8 visit, according to her lawsuit. In phone conversations, Slyder twice told Janey House to force down fluids, even though she continued to vomit, the suit alleged.
Janey House returned to the office July 11 and asked for intravenous fluids and medication, according to the lawsuit. A doctor told her that he would have to order them and asked her to return the following day to have them administered, the suit alleged.
Two hours later, Larry House drove his wife to the emergency room at Greenville Memorial Hospital with critical dehydration and she was near death, according to the suit.
She suffered massive organ failure and later had major portions of her fingers and toes amputated after developing gangrene due to blood loss and the loss of circulation, the suit says.
Larry House's suit says that he has lost his wife's care, comfort and companionship and will incur expenses to care for her injuries.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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ConnieMc
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 191
posted
Exact same thing happened here to someone in my community. Funny thing was she never saw the tick. Although NC has one of the highest rates of RMSF, they never looked for it at all. She also had organ failure, amputated fingers and toes, and was actually read last rites while in intensive care for 6 weeks.
She didn't sue. What a shame. I always thought she should have.
She went to 3 different doctors between the time she first became ill and when she finally ended up in the ER. One of them was an ID doc! He did not have a clue.
She is still suffering several years later. I think she likely has other tick-borne diseases but she does not want to hear about going to the LLMD. She and her husband have 4 kids, now ages 18 to 15. 15 year old twins. I feel for the family. Because of some idiot docs her life is changed forever.
Posts: 2275 | From NC | Registered: Oct 2000
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-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
posted
One of the benefits of the new IDSA guidelines is that we really can't sue. If docs arent' supposed to treat unless there is a bullseye and swollen knee then the rest of us are out of luck
How can I fault my duck for not knowing that the severe neck/jaw/head/ear pain with neurologic shocks, chest pain, tremors, slurred speech and mental illness isn't lyme disease...there are no guidelines to tell her so.
Also, if she performs a quest eliza among the other workups and it comes back neg...how can I sue her for not knowing to send it to Stonybrook or Igenex? Nobody taught her...
So you see, the IDSA has an ingenious plan to keep us all quiet and thwart any efforts at legal actions.
This is a crime against humanity...
-------------------- We are spiritual beings on a human journey...
quote:Originally posted by humanbeing: One of the benefits of the new IDSA guidelines is that we really can't sue. If docs arent' supposed to treat unless there is a bullseye and swollen knee then the rest of us are out of luck
How can I fault my duck for not knowing that the severe neck/jaw/head/ear pain with neurologic shocks, chest pain, tremors, slurred speech and mental illness isn't lyme disease...there are no guidelines to tell her so.
Also, if she performs a quest eliza among the other workups and it comes back neg...how can I sue her for not knowing to send it to Stonybrook or Igenex? Nobody taught her...
So you see, the IDSA has an ingenious plan to keep us all quiet and thwart any efforts at legal actions.
This is a crime against humanity...
That's it in a nutshell.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
I trust that all of you who rightly feel that the IDSA guidelines represent crimes against humanity are making sure that the word gets out to people who can do something about it: the media, elected officials, and the public at large.
What would it mean to be aware of crimes against humanity and not speak up to power?
-------------------- "Help Or Be Helpless" Please visit "Activism" board daily. See the threads regarding the IDSA Guidelines crisis and the threads about Dr. Charles Ray Jones and decide how best to help today! Posts: 1265 | From does not list | Registered: Jun 2004
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tree, thanks so much for posting this; here are feedback comments! i haven't read them yet; just copying them over here!
Couple wins $2.45 million in 'spotted fever' suit
GreenvilleOnline Forum Index -> Author Message The Greenville News Site Admin
Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 12
Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:52 am Post subject: Couple wins $2.45 million in 'spotted fever' suit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- justanotherguy Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 1 Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:16 am Post subject:
I am saddened by Mrs. House's losses and by the apparent lack of professionalism displayed by the medical staff. However, what frightens me is how people know they are very sick and instead of immediately moving on to another medical facility to get prompt treatment, they take the word of one doctor and go home, thereby causing irreputable harm to themselves.
I understand we have good schools even though our state doesn't fare well in national rankings, but how foolish can people really be? Is there no room for personal responsibility? If I treated my wife in a similiar manner, I would expect her to sue me for neglect.
I made her and her parents a promise to care for my wife all the days of her life. I did not promise to shift that burdent to another person, even if they are a doctor.
I am of the opinion that Mr. House didn't lose the comfort of his wife, he let it slip away by not taking reasonble care of her. This is a horrible tragedy that perhaps a few of us might take a lesson.
newsreader1 Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 20 Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:00 am Post subject:
justanother guy,
Hindsight is 20-20 and after time the husband did take his wife to the E R . After all, if you can't trust your Dr., who can you trust ?
greerreader Joined: 29 Dec 2006 Posts: 4 Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:29 am Post subject: Well
I am certainly sorry to hear of their prediciment. However....
The OB/GYN's office is for pregnancy and reproductive related issues. That is what they are trained to specialize in.
For all other medical issues, you go to the internist or the family doctor. (Or a different specialist, depending on the issue.)
I think it is unreasonable to expected the OB/GYN's office to be responsible for general medical issues for non-pregnant women!
Sadly, there seem to be so many people who will just run to the OB/GYN rather than the internist. One can always go to Doctor's Care (or similar) or the ER.
But as much as I feel bad for the plaintiff's situation in this case, I also feel bad for the defendant who was called on to practice outside their speciality.
FCrick Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 1 Location: Greenville Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:55 am Post subject:
$2,450,000 is approximately the life savings of a general practice MD after tax and life's expenses.
As a Greenville county physician the prospect of losing an entire life's savings for one mistake is very discouraging. It causes a few undesirable behaviors on the part of myself and my peers .
1. We spend an excessive amount of money ordering tests, radiology procedures, surgical procedures, and even hospitalization in order to prevent such a lawsuit.
The cost of such "defensive medicine" is enourmous and cannot be calculated because all of the waste "looks good on paper" -meaning the appropriate indication for all of the above is documented in the medical record, not by lying, but by representing the truth in a way that will justify the tests.
2. I do not volunteer my talent at any charity clinic becuase I am not willing to take this risk.
3. In a time when my specialty is in high demand, the risk of such a loss encourages me to retire early, despite the need for my work in this community.
LEO&BRIAN Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Posts: 72 Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:14 am Post subject:
greee, don't feel sorry for the OB. WEre you in the court room? did you hear all the evidence. If they were called on to practcie outside thier specialty, then they should have told the family, we can't help you but you should go ______.
As far as we know, the OB did not say that. People on this post make snap judgments without knowing the evidence. Obviously, 12 jurors in this county determined after hearing all the evidence and experts that they were at fault.
Thanks god those jurors entered the court room without bias and listened to the evidence.
As an attorney, if someone calls me to give them advice on a subject outside my practice area, I do not give them advice but actually give them names of attorneys who do.
Greee, are you saying you know this OB and he or she actually told the family this was outside his or her practice area and gave them the names of other doctors?
Be quiet on things you don't know the facts on. **********************************************
penelope541 Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 285 Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:14 am Post subject:
FCrick & others,
I was in the office of my family practitioner yesterday for an eye infection. He examined very thoroughly and told me what he "thought" would be the best treatment. He then excused himself for a couple of minutes. When he came back, he told me he had called a colleague at Jervey Eye Clinic to get his opinion. The colleague concurred with his opinion.
I was very impressed and very thankful for my physician's lack of ego in seeing that I get the best treatment for the problem.
Of course, I have only the information reported by the news, but I do have to wonder why the OB-GYN guy didn't refer her to someone else.
I am not certain why the woman went to the OB-GYN physician, but maybe she was having problems in that area as well.
In my humble opinion, it doesn't matter. He had several opportunities to refer her and didn't. There is really no excuse for that.
Penelope of the Blue Wall Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither. - Ben Franklin
greerreader Joined: 29 Dec 2006 Posts: 4 Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 2:22 pm Post subject: Okay....
I'm not saying that the OB was completely without fault. However, I do not think that it was his responsibility to deal with this in the first place.
I was not in the courtroom, but I did watch an interview with the plaintiff. She specifically said that she had all these symptoms and then called her "primary care physician". An OB/GYN is not a primary care physician.
The OB should have immediately referred her out. But she also shares responsibility in that she did not go to the appropriate medical professional. That too probably would have prevented all this from happening.
Greenville Professional Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 1 Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 3:25 pm Post subject: From Jury Member
I was a member of the jury and can assure you that the unanimous decision made was soundly based on the evidence presented.
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CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
YS YES YES - THIS is what we need more of!!!
If doctors face repercussions for NOT treating then we will be treated!!! Instead it is all screwed up and the other way around!!!!
The truth will out with the science eventually!! But we need more of this!!!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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