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Virginia Medical Malpractice Cases
- Why Medical Malpractice Caps Cause Injustice
- How Hospitals Can Prevent Operating on the Wrong Limb
- Virginia Med Mal Cap Will Not Increase, Thanks to Gov. McDonnell
- Virginia Medical Malpractice Victims Now Entitled to More Hospital Information
- A Misinterpreted Mammogram Can Lead to Delayed Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Fire in the Operating Room At Alexandria Hospital--the rest of the story
The Supreme Court of Virginia has upheld a verdict against an Alexandria surgeon and the corporation she worked for arising from second and third degree burns which a patient suffered when a flash fire developed in the operating room. Rita Talbert had sued Debra Hutchins, M.D. and Alexandria Surgery, LTD after she was severely injured in a 2005 fire at the nova Alexandria Hospital. The surgery was to have been a simple outpatient simple thyroid.After settling with other defendants for $710,000 her case against Dr. Hutchins went to trial. According to other published reports Dr. Hutchins had refused to settle the case. An Alexandria jury returned a verdict in the amount of $4 million. The verdict was reduced pursuant to Virginia's "tort reform" on damages (at the time $1.75 million) and was further reduced by the amount of the earlier settlement.
According to newspaper reports at the time Ms. Talbert underwent at least eight reconstructive surgeries and incurred medical expenses of over $500,000.
It is estimated in a 2001 study that as many as 200 surgical fires occur each year in the United States but more recent studies suggest that number could be much higher.
Dr. Hutchins appealed the verdict on numerous grounds however the Supreme Court of Virginia recently dismissed her appeal saying that it had been filed too late.
Here is another article on this horrendous case of a fire in the operating room at Inova Alexandria Hospital.
Remember, attorney Ben Glass reports Virginia medical malpractice verdicts and settlements here for your information only. Only a fool would think that your case is exactly like someone else's case and that you'll get exactly what someone else got. That's just not the way it works. What we do suggest is that you consult only with an experienced, nationally board certified attorney who specializes in medical malpractice cases. You should also read the Virginia Guide to Medical Malpractice Claims and The Truth About Lawyer Advertising.
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