Personal Injury Law

Baltimore Man Files Maryland Emergency Room Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Over Botched Penis Diagnosis

By Jack Lebowitz, Esq. and Vadim Mzhen, Esq.

Robert Williams, 43, is suing Franklin Square Hospital Center?s emergency room for Maryland medical malpractice. Williams, who is a diabetic with a history of abscess infections and diabetes, had to undergo emergency surgery to remove necrotic tissue from his scrotum and penis. In his Baltimore County medical malpractice lawsuit, Williams claims the procedure could have been avoided if ER workers had checked his medical history, performed the right exam, provided the correct antibiotic therapy, and admitted him to the hospital when he arrived at the emergency room in February 2007.

At the time, Williams was in pain because the left side of his scrotum was swollen. His doctor told him to go to the ER.

At Franklin Square Hospital Center, medical workers diagnosed him as suffering from testicular pain. They gave him medication, triaged him, and sent him home.

Williams?s symptoms grew worse and he developed an allergic reaction to the antibiotics that were prescribed to him. He went to another hospital?s emergency room. A complete exam showed that gangrene had infected his scrotal tissue and the base of his penis.

Williams was forced to undergo emergency surgery. Part of the procedure required that his testicles be inserted in pockets cut into his inner thighs. Skin grafts sealed the pockets and covered the hole that remained in his penis.

Williams says that in addition to the severe physical pain and suffering, disfigurement, and mental trauma he has endured, the medical mistake has caused his marriage to suffer permanent damage.

Failure to Diagnose
Not properly diagnosis a patient or delaying diagnosis of a serious condition can lead to catastrophic consequences. Not only does this decrease the chance of recovery, but a patient who receives a delayed diagnosis or the wrong diagnosis may have to undergo more invasive procedures and more rigorous therapies. In some cases, no diagnosis or delayed diagnosis or a misdiagnosis can lead to death.

Hospital emergency rooms can be held liable for Maryland emergency room medical malpractice if error, carelessness, or recklessness results in a patient not receiving the proper care.

Man Says ER Negligence Led to Penis Surgery, CourthouseNews, October 9, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Wrong Diagnosis

Medical Malpractice, Nolo

Testicle Pain, Mayo Clinic

Full post as published by Maryland Accident Law Blog on October 27, 2009 (boomark / email).