Man Awarded $500,000 In Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

Doctor Loses Medical Malpractice Lawsuit For Mocking Unconscious Patient

Posted on July 08, 2015 by Shapiro Law Group

A jury has awarded more than $500,000 to a patient who was ruthlessly mocked by his anesthesiologist while unconscious and undergoing a procedure. According to the lawsuit, the unconscious man left his mobile phone on record while he was receiving a colonoscopy. His phone recording captured a disturbing example of unprofessional behavior by a health care practitioner.

The recording caught his doctor saying things like, “After five minutes of talking to you in pre-op, I wanted to punch you in the face and man you up a little bit.”

In addition to fantasies of beating up her patient, the doctor made fun of the man’s genitalia, size and demeanor. The lawsuit claims the doctor also made plans to mislead the patient on his health.

Allegedly, the doctor wrote a fake diagnosis of hemorrhoids. At the conclusion of the medical malpractice lawsuit, members of the jury awarded the man $100,000 for defamation, $50,000 for every comment about his health, $200,000 for medical malpractice and $200,000 in punitive damages.

Why Are Doctors Bound By A High Standard Of Ethics?

Before becoming licensed health care practitioners, many doctors memorize the Hippocratic Oath, a doctrine that goes back as far as ancient Greek society. While not legally binding, the oath is a sworn declaration to help the sick, have sympathy for patients and to uphold a high standard of professionalism.

Losing sympathy for patients and fabricating illnesses to scare them is both negligent and reckless. In cases like the one we have discussed today, we are glad to see a jury award a neglected patient more than $500,000 in damages.

Patients who are victims of negligence may have options for filing medical malpractice lawsuits. Discussing available options with a medical malpractice attorney can be the first step in recovering from a traumatic experience.

Shapiro Law Group – Tampa Bay Medical Malpractice Attorneys

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