Cruise Ship Lawyers Blog
The wife of a man who died during a surgery where his doctor removed his liver instead of his spleen is planning to sue, according to reporting from local news outlets.
The incident began when the man complained of feeling pain in his side while he and his wife visited their Florida rental property from Alabama. At the hospital, the man was allegedly planning to return to Alabama to see his usual doctor but was instead persuaded by a medical team in Florida to go ahead with the surgery, according to the family’s attorneys. Doctors are said to have “persuaded” him by explaining the potential risks that could arise if he delayed surgery.
A surgical pathology report listed the organ that was removed as a “grossly identifiable” liver that was partly torn. When removing the liver, the doctor tore blood vessels that caused “catastrophic blood loss resulting in death,” the wife’s attorneys said in a statement to local news outlets.
The doctor at the center of this incident allegedly removed the wrong parts of another patient’s pancreas in a procedure from 2023 though no disciplinary cases had been filed with the Florida Department of Health as of Tuesday, according to local reporting.
Similarly, Leesfield & Partners attorneys have represented thousands of clients who have been the victims of medical malpractice aboard cruise ships.
Cruise Ship Medical Malpractice
As a law firm with one of three Florida offices located about 20 minutes from Port Miami, Leesfield & Partners attorneys have represented thousands of cases of medical malpractice stemming from the negligence of cruise ship doctors. In 48 years of advocating for accountability, the firm has represented clients who were refused evacuation in a medical emergency resulting in permanent injury and death and clients who were misdiagnosed, leading to further harm at the hands of doctors who were not up to par with U.S. medical standards.
One case handled by the firm includes that of a 16-year-old girl who was having a stroke on board the ship. Though she was presenting with clear signs of a stroke, doctors insisted that she was not having one because “16-year-olds do not have strokes.” It was clear to the girl’s family that she was in the middle of a medical emergency and doctors refused to evacuate the child.
The firm secured a multi-million recovery for the girl and her family.
A cruise ship medical team that failed to screen blood mistakenly administered an HIV-positive blood transfusion to a patient on board. The firm secured a multi-million recovery for the client.
In Sorrels v. Norwegian Cruise Line (Bahamas) Ltd., Leesfield & Partners attorneys made critical passenger protection laws in medical negligence cases. In that case, a woman walking on a cruise ship deck slipped and fell, incurring a horrific wrist fracture. The woman required open reduction internal fixation surgery, an operation that involves the realignment of bones by attaching metal devices to hold them in place. The dangerous condition of the deck combined with the cruise ship’s failure to warn guests of the potential hazards were alleged in court. A summary court judgment finding that excluded the testimony of a Leesfield & Partners expert was later vacated by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
In reversing the original decision made by the trial court, the Eleventh District Court of Appeals reinforced the right to a trial by jury for those injured in maritime cases.
In medical malpractice cases on land, Leesfield & Partners successfully recovered a $24.1 million award for a family whose child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after a traumatic birth experience with a doctor. Following an unsuccessful attempt at inducing the birth with Pitocin, the doctor attempted to use a vacuum for 45 minutes before performing a controversial birthing technique on the mother’s abdomen. This birthing technique requires placing fundal pressure on the abdomen to push the child down the birthing canal. This technique can often lead to a rupture of the uterus which is what happened in this case. The rupture cut off blood and oxygen supply to the child who was later born with severe cerebral palsy.
Leesfield & Partners attorneys also handled a case in which medical negligence resulted in the amputation of a premature baby’s arm. The firm secured a $1.5 million award for the child’s family.
In the case of a patient who incurred serious burns during a hospital medical procedure, the firm secured $600,000 for the client.
If you think you or a loved one may have a medical malpractice case against a cruise ship or otherwise, don’t wait. Call Leesfield & Partners today for a free consultation at 800-836-6400 or 305-854-4900.
