Articles Posted in Medical Malpractice

We have all heard advice not to procrastinate. This is especially true if you are considering bringing a lawsuit. If you are considering filing a medical malpractice lawsuit against your doctor, you cannot wait indefinitely because Louisiana law has strict time limits for filing medical malpractice lawsuits. The following case out of Lafayette Parish shows the harsh consequences if you delay filing your case.

While working, Daniel McCauley injured his knee. He underwent treatment, but it was unsuccessful. McCauley returned to the same doctor, Dr. Malcolm Stubbs, approximately six years later, complaining of pain. He underwent additional procedures on his knee for the next five years. Nonetheless, McCauley continued to suffer from knee pain, which he claims to still suffer from to this day. 

Over a year after stopping treatment from Dr. Stubbs, McCauley filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Dr. Stubbs related to procedures Dr. Stubbs had performed on McCauley three and six years before him filing the lawsuit. The trial court granted an exception of prescription and dismissed the claim because McCauley did not file the lawsuit within three years or one year after his doctor-patient relationship with Dr. Stubbs ended. McCauley appealed, arguing the trial court erred in holding his claim was time barred.

When pursuing a medical malpractice claim in Louisiana, adhering to the necessary procedural requirements is crucial for a successful case. Failure to comply with statutory obligations can lead to legal battles centered around procedural technicalities rather than the merits of the claim.

That is the situation Lori Franks found herself in after she sent a letter to the Division of Administration at the Louisiana Patient’s Compensation Fund Oversight Board (“PCF”) requesting a medical review panel. Franks sought review related to the medical care provided by Dr. Charlotte Hollman and a nurse practitioner, Deborah Gahagan, to her two minor twin sons, A.F. and C.F. She included a payment of $200 for the filing fee, which is $100 per defendant under the Louisiana Medical Malpractice Act, La. R.S. 40:1231.8. 

The PCF assigned two file numbers to the request, one for each of the twin son’s claims. It allocated the entire $200 payment to A.F.’s filing fee. PCF then mailed a letter to Frank acknowledging they had received her claim and to go ahead with appointing an attorney chairman. PCF sent a separate letter the same day that only referenced C.F.’s claim and told Franks that she needed to pay a $200 filing fee for the claim within forty-five days. After PCF did not receive any additional funds within the forty-five-day period, PCF sent her a letter stating C.F.’s claim was invalid because the period for paying the filing fee had expired. 

When one enters the hospital in times of a medical emergency, they hope that they will receive the highest standard of care possible. Often there can be uncertainty, however, as to what the threshold is for the highest acceptable standard of care. In an emergency, it can also become unclear what treatment was received exactly.

 What does “not charted, not done” mean, and how does it apply to medical negligence cases in Louisiana? This very issue arose recently at the Louisiana Court of Appeals recently when the testimony of a doctor at Lakeland medical center conflicted with his documented treatment of a patient who subsequently died. 

Wonica Royal died on April 1, 2003, after she had been discharged from Lakeland hospital. When Ms. Royal presented to the emergency room there had been no nurse at the triage desk. Dr. Juan Blanch, an emergency room physician, was at the desk, however, and he performed the assessment of Ms. Royal. Ms. Royal was administered breathing treatment and antibiotics and discharged on the same day in “good condition.” The next day she died of a pulmonary embolism. 

Sickness often begets a doctor’s visit, and sometimes severe illness calls for a trip to the emergency room. So when parents, David Pitts, Jr. and Kenyetta Gurley, arrived at Hood Memorial Hospital in Amite City, Louisiana, with their daughter, Lyric, it’s likely neither expected to leave there without their daughter’s health restored.

 Upon arrival at the emergency room, Lyric’s mother described her daughter’s symptoms as breathing “funny” and faster than usual and disclosed that she had thrown up twice earlier in the day. The hospital recorded that “Lyric had not had any liquid intake since 4:00 PM, and no output (i.e., dirty diaper) since 2:00 PM.” Around 7:30 PM, after Dr. Rhoda Jones (“Dr. Jones”) examined Lyric, she noted Lyric’s “shortness of breath” and “wheezing” in her lungs. Dr. Jones’s initial diagnosis was “asthma, possible pneumonia, and RSV,” so she ordered a chest x-ray, CBC (complete blood count), CMP (comprehensive metabolic panel), and a test for RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). The results of the chest x-ray came back normal, and the RSV test came back negative. Nevertheless, one of the nurses tending to Lyric had asked Dr. Jones at least three times if Lyric could be taken to another facility. Still, Dr. Jones insisted that no one would admit Lyric with negative or normal lab results and no fever.

 Lyric stayed at the hospital overnight. However, by 2:30 AM, Dr. Jones was called in to check on Lyric, and at approximately 3:00 PM, while she was holding Lyric, the 7-month-old baby had a seizure and stopped breathing. About an hour later, Lyric was declared dead, and the cause of death was listed as myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle).