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A doctor who is careless or negligent in treating a patient is just as responsible to pay damages as would a truck driver who carelessly crosses the center of the highway and injures someone. Tremont & Sheldon has been able to obtain millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for persons injured through the negligence of doctors and hospitals over the years.
Our malpractice claims range from unnecessary surgery; failure to diagnose cancer; failure to urgently treat heart conditions; leaving surgical instruments in the body; improper delivery of babies; performing the wrong operation; and failing to properly supervise or administer anesthesia. The key to our success is the ability of our lawyers to know about medicine to intelligently cross-examine the doctors and read between the lines of hospital records.
 Examples of Tremont & Sheldon Medical Malpractice Cases
How to Survive a Hospital Stay
Examples of Tremont & Sheldon Medical Malpractice Cases
Below are examples of past cases that Tremont & Sheldon has championed. We were able to recover millions of dollars for these clients as compensation towards their injuries.
Case #1
A. woman undergoing nasal surgery for chronic sinus infections almost bled to death when the otolaryngologist (ear, nose & throat specialist) performing the surgery nicked her carotid artery resulting in massive bleeding. The patient was emergently sent by ambulance to another hospital where emergency surgery was done to stop the bleeding and multiple blood transfusions were required. Evidence was presented indicating that the doctor violated the standard of care in cutting the carotid artery during that procedure. Unfortunately, as a result of the loss of blood, the patient suffered a brain injury causing ongoing cognitive difficulties and headaches.
Case #2
A woman in her late 30's, diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, later learned that a radiologist had misread several of her mammograms done in previous years. Evidence was presented that the cancer should have been detected by the radiologist years earlier. As a result of the delay in diagnosis, the patient had to undergo radical surgery for removal of the breast and aggressive chemotherapy. In addition, the advanced staging of the cancer indicated a worsened prognosis.
Case #3
A woman in her early twenties pregnant with her first child had an uncomplicated pregnancy course. She entered the hospital to deliver a full term baby, at which time she came under the care of a midwife. During labor, ominous warnings on the fetal monitoring strips indicated that the baby was in distress. Despite the signs and symptoms of fetal distress, the midwife and obstetrician allowed the mother to continue in labor. By the time a Caesarian Section was performed, the baby had suffered hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain) resulting in her death the following day. Evidence was presented that according to the medical standards, the C-section should have been performed sooner in which case the baby would have survived.
Case #4
A man underwent back surgery to remove a ruptured disc. For nearly 18 months after the operation, the man's pain continued and indeed got worse. With the initial surgeon telling him "it was all in his mind", the man became depressed and started questioning his own symptoms until he saw another doctor for a second opinion. A CT Scan revealed the herniated disc had not been removed in the surgery and a perfectly healthy disc (the wrong one) was removed. The surgeon had operated on the wrong space, thereby removing a healthy structure and never excising the ruptured disc.
Case #5
A 21-year-old healthy male college student entered the hospital for a simple scheduled biopsy. A CT Scan of his chest was done and he complained of having difficulty breathing when in a prone position. The CT Scan showed that a growth on the front of his chest cavity was pressing against his windpipe and practically cutting off his breathing when he laid down. The radiologist viewing the x-ray never put anything about the compromise of the windpipe in the x-ray report and the CT Scan report was never placed in the patient's chart. When the operation started to remove the growth on the chest cavity, there was no anesthetist available and another doctor was called into the surgery who did not review the patient's chart or CT Scan. As the operation started, the boy stopped breathing when the air tube was put into his windpipe. The tube was taken out (extubated) and put back in (intubated) continually over a twenty five-minute period. Finally, a cardiologist came running into the room, looked at the film, and immediately saw that the air tube was being pushed against the growth, completely blocking off the boy's breathing. This young man remained comatose for over one month and died.
Case #6
A woman went in for routine gall bladder operation in a hospital. The anesthesiologist cut off her oxygen each time he attached her to a defective anesthesia machine; subsequently suffocating her. The same type of equipment had malfunctioned in two other hospitals, but the manufacturer had ignored the problem. Even then, she could have been saved, but the hospital had failed to provide the necessary cardiac monitor to check her heart activity during the operation. She spent the rest of her short life blind, paralyzed, and brain damaged.
How to Survive a Hospital Stay
When you are in a hospital, demand specific information:
- You and a trusted family member should always know the diagnosis and potential procedure.
- Question each procedure before it is started.
- Before taking medication, ask what it is for and who prescribed it.
- Insist that you know the doctor who is in the overall charge of your case.
- Before going into the operating room, find out who they think you are, what is the operation they expect to perform, and where upon your body.
- You and your family members should not be afraid to complain if you feel the patient is having a problem that is being ignored.
- Repeat over and over again any allergies or reactions you may have.
- If your instinct says something is wrong, demand to see the doctor in charge.
- Never hesitate to ask for and obtain a second opinion.
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If you believe that you have been injured in any manner, you must act swiftly to protect your rights. Please click here if you would like us to review your situation.
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