A Savannah woman was awarded $18 million in medical malpractice damages after delayed medical care left her paralyzed.

About the Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

According to the Savannah Morning News, 58-year-old Joan Simmons developed a serious nervous system infection while receiving treatment for an acute illness at the Candler Hospital emergency room in July 2014.

Upon being discharged from St. Joseph’s Hospital in September 2014, Simmons was diagnosed as paralyzed and remains without functional use of her legs. She is confined to a wheelchair.

In a lawsuit filed in Chatham County State Court, Simmons alleged that Southcoast Medical Group and the infectious disease physician employed by Southcoast, Dr. Sarah Barbour, were negligent in failing to timely diagnose and properly treat her spinal infection.

The jury ruled in Simmons’ favor, awarding the following damages:

• $18 million proportioned between Southcoast Medical Group and Dr. Sarah Barbour and St. Joseph’s/Candler
• $16.2 million against Southcoast and Barbour
• $1.8 million against St. Joseph’s/Candler

How Common is Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice occurs when an individual suffers injury or death due to negligence or incompetence on the part of a medical professional. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, medical errors cause approximately 250,000 deaths each year in the United States — only heart disease and cancer claim more lives each year than medical errors. In addition, medical malpractice often leads to significant injuries which can leave survivors with life-altering disabilities and disfigurements.

Among the most common forms of malpractice observed in the medical community are:

• Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis — When a doctor makes an incorrect diagnosis, misses a diagnosis, or makes a delayed diagnosis, the recommended treatment may no longer be an effective option for the patient.
• Childbirth injuries — Negligence from a physician or nurse can occur before, during, or after childbirth that causes injury to the infant or mother.
• Medication errors — An incorrect dosage or method of administration are just two kinds of negligent medication mistakes that can cause serious harm.
• Anesthesia errors — Errors by an anesthesiologist, such as failing to monitor vital signs or administering too much medication, oftentimes lead to fatal consequences.
• Surgery errors — Negligence can occur before, during, or after surgery and leave patients with infections and other complications.

Contact an Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorney

At Thomas J. Henry, our team of experienced malpractice attorneys are available 24/7 to take your call and hear your malpractice claim. We have lawyers who have handled a multitude of medical, pharmaceutical, and legal malpractice lawsuits. What sets Thomas J. Henry apart is our history of achieving multi-million dollar verdicts for our injured clients and our proven track record of helping our clients receive the compensation they deserve.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Let us help you with your medical malpractice, pharmacy malpractice, or legal malpractice claim. Contact us today for a free legal consultation with one of our experienced personal injury attorneys.