On Sept. 23, Philadelphia resident Michael Washington filed a medical malpractice lawsuit at the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas against the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, the Trustees of the University and the University of Pennsylvania Health System on behalf of his wife, Dorothy Anderson. She is currently suffering from a cerebral aneurysm that has allegedly left her bedridden.
According to Anderson’s lawyer James Foerstner, the disability could have been avoided. Anderson claims to have described stroke-like symptoms to an ER physician during a hospital visit on March 28, 2010, but was sent home with a diagnosis of “tingling [and] muscle fatigue.” Two and a half weeks later, she suffered a stroke and was diagnosed with hemorrhaging due to an aneurysm.
Hospital staff performed a “coiling” procedure to prevent further deterioration of her condition, but the treatment proved problematic.
Foerstner said Penn has yet to respond to the complaints. Once they do, there will be a case-management conference in which the two parties are given a period of time to conduct discovery — the process of revealing all information to the opposing party — and prepare expert reports. Afterwards, when the two parties are trial-ready, the judge sets a trial date.
Although the process of setting up a trial date can take over two years, Foerstner said these trials generally last five to eight days. The plaintiff is demanding upwards of $50,000.
Penn’s Office of General Counsel declined to comment.
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