When a patient in Maryland agrees to undergo surgery, he or she trusts that the surgeon is skilled and qualified to do the job. This is not always the case, however. In one out-of-state case involving surgical errors, a woman claimed that a doctor negligently completed many surgeries on her foot and was not even qualified as a health care provider when he was performing her treatment; she has thus sued the physician and the physician's insurer.
The woman said she underwent three different surgical procedures for a foot condition. However, she still had complaints about persistent pain in her right foot. The doctor each time suggested that she receive shots and take pills.
The woman said that when her physician later went on sabbatical, she ended up seeing a new doctor for the treatment of a foot cyst. Although the surgery happened to be successful, she still experienced pain in her foot. She got X-rays done of her foot and they reportedly showed that the previous doctor had removed too much bone when performing surgery on her foot. The woman said she later learned that this doctor was not a qualified doctor during the period when he was performing her treatment.
The woman in her lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages for medical expenses, along with pain and suffering. She is also pursuing damages for permanent scarring, losing the enjoyment of life and a decrease in her future income. Victims of surgical errors have the right to try to hold accountable negligent physicians through the Maryland civil court system.
