Legal Question in Medical Malpractice in Arkansas
My question involves medical malpractice in the state of: Arkansas
A little background on how she got to her current state of health:
My mother is 75. She developed diabetes about 10 years ago and began insulin. Along the way, she developed neuropathy and eventually kidney damage, which led to heart damage. Because of the kidney issues she was put on home dialysis treatments. She developed sores on her feet which were treated at the local hospital where she contracted MRSA. The MRSA went un-noticed and by the time her doctor caught it, it had spread throughout her body.
Over the past year or so she has been in the hospital numerous times for the same thing. Her stomach has been in constant pain, her stats drop, she goes in the hospital, they give her antibiotics, she gets better, goes home.
Over the past couple of months her stomach pain has become almost constant. The doctor who has been treating her says it is from the MRSA and there is nothing they can do. My mother virtually stopped eating both because of the pain and because she is not hungry. She was admitted to the hospital a couple of weeks ago, sent home for a day, then readmitted a week ago.
During this last stay, the only treatment the hospital has given her has been to continue the dialysis. No fluids or food of any kind. Yesterday morning they were going to send her home and my father and the doctor had words. The doctor said he refused to treat her any longer, so they assigned her a new doctor. The new doctor promptly sent her for a CT scan along with extensive testing. The results came back that she has advanced stages of liver cancer. Something the first doctor never even tested for despite her having elevated liver enzymes.
I am across the Country, but I am really angry at her initial doctor. I feel he is totally incompetent and has caused my mother unnecessary suffering by not catching this in the early stages. Now it is too late to treat. I want to know if this constitutes medical malpractice?
1 Answer from Attorneys
You very well may have a cause of action if it were determinable that the attending physician's actions and treatment protocal fell below the standard of care. I would be willing to discuss this matter with you further in personal consultation.
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