Nova Scotia residents may be interested in the recent case of a doctor in Hanover has been ordered by a court to pay $15 million in damages. The doctor was the defendant in a medical malpractice case that was filed after the woman suffered from a debilitating stroke. The $15 million amount was agreed upon by both parties before the trial if the doctor was found to be negligent.
The woman was out bowling two days after Christmas when she started experiencing severe headaches. Her speech became garbled, she was numb on one side and she was making involuntary eye movements. Two days later, she suffered from a serious stroke that destroyed part of her spinal cord and lower brain stem. This stroke resulted in her becoming paralyzed from the neck down at the age of 24. The woman had a history of high blood pressure and took medication for hypertension. The doctor prescribed a drug that would lower her blood pressure. Shortly after that time, a nurse informed the doctor that the woman was unable to move her arm and was very dizzy, but the doctor did not reassess her. She was sent to another hospital several hours later where a rip was revealed in imaging scans.
The judge concluded that the woman would not have suffered a stroke if not for the doctor’s negligence. The judge stated that the doctor caused the woman’s blood pressure to go down, which caused clots to occur and result in the stroke. The damages are meant to provide a lifetime of round-the-clock care and lost income.
Individuals who are injured because of a doctor’s negligence may decide to pursue a lawsuit against the healthcare professional in an effort to receive compensation. Court-ordered awards may be given to help provide for further medical treatment and to replace lost income.
Source: National Post, “Doctor ordered to pay $15M to young mother paralyzed by stroke after ‘negligence’ led to blood clot“, Tom Blackwell, March 02, 2014