Wow. A former osteopathic doctor who performed surgeries at a West Virginia hospital has had 124 medical malpractice claims filed against him arising out of his only 7 months of medical practice at that hospital. In the most recent medical malpractice court hearing against him, the former doctor failed to appear for a court hearing on February 17, 2012. Another hearing against the former osteopathic surgeon is scheduled for March 15, 2012.
The hospital that hired the doctor, Putnam General Hospital, was found negligent in its hiring of the doctor as an orthopedic surgeon without properly checking his medical credentials and therefore the hospital became a co-defendant in 122 medical malpractice claims arising out of the doctor’s employment at the hospital between 2002 and 2003. The medical malpractice claimants were also permitted to seek punitive damages from the hospital. Many of the medical malpractice claims alleged that the doctor negligently performed surgeries and that many of the surgeries were medically unnecessary.
It was also determined that the doctor failed to disclose to the hospital all of the medical malpractice claims pending against him and failed to disclose to the hospital his arrest in 1999 regarding his alleged removal of log books from a Florida medical facility.
When the hospital fired the doctor in May, 2003, the doctor gave up his West Virginia medical license, left the state, and allegedly changed his name.
On December 4, 2007, the doctor filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. However, a federal bankruptcy judge determined in March, 2009, that the doctor fraudulently failed to disclose at least $670,000 in assets and therefore denied the doctor the discharge of his debts in his bankruptcy proceeding.
The corporation that owned Putnam General Hospital when the doctor was employed there paid approximately $100 million in 2008 to settle 124 of the medical malpractice claims against the hospital.
124…7…1 — 124 medical malpractice claims arising from only 7 months of medical practice against 1 doctor.
We don’t know for a fact that these repeated episodes of medical malpractice by a single doctor in a single hospital in West Virginia is an unwelcome medical malpractice record in the United States, but we certainly hope so. If there are other hospitals in the United States that are harboring repeat medical malpractice offenders, we hope that they are promptly discovered, they are immediately removed from providing patient care, and that the hospitals accept full responsibility for their own shortcomings that have allowed known miscreants to have access to patients who may be harmed due to medical negligence (or worse).
If you or a family member or a close friend have become the victim of medical malpractice committed by a negligent (or worse) medical provider in West Virginia or in any other U.S. state, you should promptly inquire about your legal rights with a local medical malpractice attorney.
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