Created: 01 May 2009
The AP (5/1) reports, “The family of an Iowa County girl permanently disabled by a surgeon has received a $17 million settlement from the state’s medical malpractice fund.” According to court documents, the physician “used a blender-like device to help remove the” patient’s spleen, “but caused internal damage that left the” patient “with permanent brain injuries.” The patient now “cannot speak, uses a feeding tube, and requires around-the-clock care.” For his part, the physician claims “he hadn’t used the device before and didn’t tell the girl’s parents he would be using it.”