A woman whose vision has been damaged due to medical negligence asks for compensation.
Q: A few years ago, I had severe discomfort in my eyes. They itched, burned and looked inflamed. Constantly flowing tears prevented me from seeing. I tried to wash my eyes with a solution of “artificial tears”, which I bought in a pharmacy; it did not help. Over time, the pain increased so much that I had to go to the hospital, even though I did not have any medical insurance. After examination of my eyes, the physician said that it was conjunctivitis and prescribed an antibiotic (Gentamicin). I followed the doctor’s prescription, but the condition of my eyes became worse and the pain continued to increase. I went to the hospital again. This time another physician examined my eyes. He agreed with the previous diagnosis, conjunctivitis, and recommended me take Tylenol with Codeine in addition to Gentamicin. He also referred me to the ophthalmologist.
The ophthalmologist was on vacation; therefore I was only able to get an appointment with him in a month. After examining my eyes, the ophthalmologist concluded that this was not conjunctivitis, but ulcers on the cornea. The doctor prescribed medications that finally helped me. However there were scars on the corneas on both of my eyes. Now I have to wear glasses.
I want to ask you as a lawyer – should anyone pay for my suffering?
A: Medical negligence is a problem that exists not only in our country. I emphasize: the mistake is only a secondary issue, and the first issues are disorder, negligence and improper performance by the doctor of his duties.
It doesn’t really matter if you had insurance or not. You came with a serious and urgent problem that requires immediate resolution and treatment. It’s terrible that the doctors did not properly diagnose you, even when you came for the second time, with the condition worsened after their medical “help”. Of course they had to send you to a specialist immediately. If the hospital doctor was on vacation at that time, they had to send you to another available doctor in any other hospital.
Negligence in medicine, even if it’s just a delay, as it happened in your case, often leads to irreversible consequences. Your scars, which led to deterioration of your vision, is not the worst thing that could’ve happened.
What’s there to say if these doctors did not even use a slit lamp – a common ophthalmic device that allows looking inside the patient eyes in order to asses the problem.
Of course, you’re eligible to get compensation for your doctor’s negligence. If you contact lawyers of Yuriy Prakhin Law Office, these doctors will have to pay for the glasses you wear, for lenses if you decide to replace them, and for everything else that will be related to the consequences of your injury.
