A complication following a surgical procedure resulted in a woman’s death, and the loss of a family matriarch, as reported by The Statesville Record and Landmark, and that family has now been awarded $7 million for her wrongful death.
V.L.B.H., 54 at the time of her death, had entered Mooresville hospital for an overnight stay and hysterectomy. After being released the following day, though she reported having pain – per court records – she languished for nearly 80 hours with an untreated perforated bowel before succumbing to her injuries.
The same day she was released V.L.B.H. returned to the hospital. While doctors tried to find out what was wrong she developed sepsis, multiple organ failure – including her brain and kidney – pneumonia and was put on dialysis.
Doctors and family decided further treatment was futile and she died on September 24, 2007.
The family was awarded $7 million by a Wilkes County jury and a civil trial will follow next year.
Tom Comerford, the family’s attorney stated, “It’s a large verdict in a wrongful-death case. I thought what was really interesting about this case is the jury picked up on the value of a life, and what's lost is more than what the person might earn.”
The jury laid full blame on V.L.B.H.’s doctor, S.L.R. and decided another doctor, D.G., that treated V.L.B.H. afterward the surgery, was not negligent.
Dr. S.L.R.’s attorney, John Minier, said, “We're disappointed in the result, but wish the best for the Harmon family and hope everyone involved will be able to achieve some sort of closure, and maybe, peace.”
The complaint had stated that Dr. S.L.R. had failed to attend to V.L.B.H. following the surgery and, failed to identify symptoms of infection and bowel perforation.
Comerford had stated that V.L.B.H. was released from the hospital though she had an elevated white blood count – a symptom of inflammation. Once she arrived home, the simple act of a single sneeze brought on a pain so acute that, knowing something was wrong, prompted V.L.B.H. to return to the hospital.
Comerford contended that the sneeze was enough to blow contents of her bowel into her abdominal cavity.
Once back at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center, Dr. S.L.R. noted that she examined V.L.B.H. at 11 a.m. That was the last doctor to see V.L.B.H. until the following morning.
According to the complaint, Dr. D.G., upon seeing V.L.B.H. the next day, ordered a diagnostic laparoscopy, possible bowel resection and possible colostomy.
But V.L.B.H. developed too many complications and her organs began to fail. Her family had her moved to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center on July 19, 2007, where she later died.
V.L.B.H. left behind two sons, a daughter and husband.
One son, S.H., said of the family’s loss, “I could not think of any amount of money that would bring my mom back, (but) none of us hate the doctors. If we did that, we would be doing Mom a disservice.”
One of her son’s, and her husband, have learning difficulties. V.L.B.H. motivated both to strive to achieve college degrees. V.L.B.H. herself attained a teaching degree in special education.
S.H. said, “The big things about her legacy are education, education, education and the love she shared with all of us.”
Loosing a loved one, in any scenario, is difficult. If your loss has been compounded by a wrongful death, contact a personal injury lawyer to seek monetary compensation.