We're a lawsuit-happy culture, but sometimes these lawsuits seem pretty justified.
Take, for example, the case of Fernando Cluster at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Cluster went in for emergency surgery for a brain bleed, which required the surgeons to remove a section of his skull to alleviate swelling. The section was going to be replaced in a second surgery a few weeks later, but the second surgery ran into a teeny-tiny little problem.
When Emory's personnel went to retrieve the bone flap, 'there were several bone flaps with incomplete or missing patient identification' and therefore, Emory 'could not be certain which, if any of these belonged to Mr. Cluster.'
What a fiasco!
So, they had to replace the missing piece with a synthetic skull section, which caused an infection and has led to over $146,000 in medical complications on top of the original emergency procedure, as well as a prolonged hospital stay, which means he hasn't been able to work.
Cluster is suing the hospital for an undisclosed amount because of the debacle, meanwhile Emory representatives refused to comment on the pending litigation.
But I have to wonder about the other patients whose skull fragments weren't labeled. This lawsuit is in the national news, so if the hospital settles or loses the lawsuit, the floodgates are open for lawsuits from everyone else in Cluster's position at Emory.
I imagine Emory and their lawyers are feeling a little flustered right about now.
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