Veteran’s Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Nets $21.5M Verdict

A U.S. Navy veteran won a $21.5 million medical malpractice lawsuit verdict against the Veterans Administration. U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty ruled in favor of Navy veteran Michael Farley in his medical malpractice lawsuit. Judge McCafferty found that the VA facility discharged Mr. Farley after he showed signs of a stroke. After his discharge, Mr. Farley suffered a massive stroke, leaving him mentally aware but physically unable to communicate with his family and caregivers, which the judge ruled the VA hospital could have prevented.

Details of the Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

Documents in the medical malpractice lawsuit showed that Mr. Farley visited a VA-operated urgent care facility in 2010. He was complaining of headaches and partial blindness. The records showed that a VA physician tested Mr. Farley and determined that he had suffered a stroke. The physician had authorized a transfer for Mr. Farley to a facility more suited to care for stroke victims, but the orders were canceled and Mr. Farley was discharged. A month later, Mr. Farley was found in his home, unresponsive after a second major stroke.

Patient in Medical Malpractice Lawsuit “Medically Abandoned”

An expert witness in Mr. Farley’s medical malpractice lawsuit testified that the VA, in effect, “medically abandoned” a patient in their care. Although both a cardiologist and a neurologist were on the premises of the urgent care facility, the attending physician reportedly failed to call either of them in to examine Mr. Farley’s symptoms. The medical malpractice lawsuit also showed that the doctor gave Mr. Farley two children’s aspirin tablets a day and scheduled a cardiology appointment before discharging him.

Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Patient Suffered From “Harrowing” Trauma

Judge McCafferty stated that Mr. Farley endured “harrowing psychological trauma” from his treatment at the VA hospital. As a result of his multiple strokes, Mr. Farley suffered from “locked-in syndrome.” Although he has retained his mental faculties and awareness of his surroundings, he can no longer walk or speak and can only make small movements of his head and eyes. The judge also included in her medical malpractice lawsuit ruling statements about how Mr. Farley’s family was “discussing end-of-life scenarios” due to his paralysis.

VA Disputes Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Verdict

The medical malpractice lawsuit included orders for the VA to pay Mr. Farley’s family $13.4 million for his medical care costs and $8.2 million for pain and suffering. A statement released by the VA disputed the language of the medical malpractice lawsuit ruling. The statement said that the agency maintains its mission to ensure the “quality, safe and effective health care” for veterans. The statement also said that the agency “take(s) seriously any issue” and “work(s) hard to improve care for all veterans.”

Source: Washington Post

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