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Man Suffers Severe Injury When Sacramento Kaiser Fails to Diagnosis Aneurysm, Part 1 of 3

The following blog is provided as an example of a Kaiser medical malpractice lawsuit to aid potential clients in how a lawsuit is examined and conduced. It is worth noting that situations similar to those described in this medical malpractice case could just as easily occur at any of the healthcare facilities in the area, such as UC Davis Medical Center, Mercy, Methodist, or Sutter.

(Please also note: the names and locations of all parties have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the participants in this personal injury lawsuit and its proceedings.)

TEXT:
CASE INFORMATION
FACTS/CONTENTIONS

According to Plaintiff: Plaintiffs claimed that defendants failed to clip a ruptured aneurysm and monitor plaintiff patient’s condition in a skilled nursing facility. The plaintiffs were John Doe, 51, and his wife, Jane Doe, 48. The defendants were Kaiser Foundation Hospital and Kaiser-related entities. John Doe suffered a right superior cerebellar artery aneurysm on August 29, 1999. On October 16, 1999 he suffered a re-bleed of the aneurysm while residing in a skilled nursing facility. He now requires full-time care and is confined to Alta Bates Herrick Hospital where he is essentially bed-ridden.

Plaintiff patient was in good health until August 1999. He experienced some headaches which seemed to resolve. On August 29, however, the headaches were so severe that he reported to the emergency room at the Sacramento Hospital. While in the emergency room, he vomited, had a seizure and became unresponsive. He was intubated immediately. He was diagnosed with a subarachnoid hemorrhage, likely due to an aneurysm, and acute hydrocephalus. He was transferred by helicopter to Kaiser Sacramento, where he came under the care of respondents.

For more information you are welcome to contact Sacramento personal injury lawyer, Moseley Collins.

At Kaiser the patient was given a Grade 5 on the Hunt and Hess scale. This means he was in a deep coma with decerebrate rigidity and moribund appearance. He was placed on a ventilator. Chris Phillips, a neurosurgeon, told the family that he had a very low chance of survival and would likely die. Reggius Satals, a neurosurgeon, told the family that the patient had suffered a bleed from an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a congenital deformity, which had a very low chance of re-bleeding. Satals further said that although the patient had a right superior cerebellar artery aneurysm, the aneurysm had not bled. It turned out that Satals was wrong on both counts.

For more information you are welcome to contact Sacramento personal injury lawyer, Moseley Collins.