$5 Million Chicago Medical Malpractice Verdict Awarded to Woman for Unnecessary Hysterectomy
A jury has awarded Sharon Virginelli $5 million for Chicago medical malpractice because of an unnecessary hysterectomy she underwent 10 years ago. Virginelli had planned on having a large family, but that dream was lost in 1999 when she went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital to give birth to her daughter.
Following the C-section delivery, Dr. Pamela Liu, Virginelli’s obstetrician, decided to perform a hysterectomy because of post-operative bleeding that she considered life-threatening. The new mother was dismayed to discover that her uterus had been removed and she would not be able to have another baby.
Virginelli sued the Chicago hospital for medical malpractice. According to her Chicago personal injury lawyer, the doctor’s decision to perform the hysterectomy was an act of medical misconduct. Experts have noted that Liu could have conducted other, less severe medical procedures that would have stopped the bleeding.
Virginelli says her loss of the ability to have more children continues to haunt her to this day.
Liu works for The Women’s Group of Northwestern. Virginelli lost a previous Chicago medical malpractice lawsuit she had filed against the group but that verdict was overturned.
Hysterectomy
A hysterectomy is a procedure that removes a woman’s womb. Hysterectomies are not reversible, and therefore serious consideration must be made when electing to have this procedure done. A doctor can be held liable for medical malpractice if he or she botches the hysterectomy or, during an emergency situation, performs the procedure without the patient’s consent when other, less permanent procedures could have been conducted.
Generally, doctors are supposed to obtain a patient’s informed consent for any type of treatment. Failure to obtain informed consent can also be grounds for a Chicago medical malpractice lawsuit.
Woman Gives Birth, Loses Uterus To Hysterectomy, CBS2, September 17, 2009
Woman Awarded $5 Million After "Unnecessary" Hysterectomy, NBC, September 17, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Hysterectomy, Women'sHealth
Call for fewer hysterectomy ops, BBC News, September 11, 2009
