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Indiana Accident News

Clark County Jury Awards $1.5 Million in Medical Malpractice Suit

Posted on Feb 02, 2012

A New Albany woman suffering from short gut syndrome was awarded $1.5 million in damages during an Indiana medical malpractice trial in Clark County.

According to the Jeffersonville News & Tribune, 30-year-old Michelle Wells Fischer suffered a permanent, life-altering injury after a surgeon at Floyd Memorial Hospital & Health Services delayed surgery before leaving town for the weekend.

During the trial, Fischer stated that in 2003 she was suffering severe abdominal pain and went to the emergency room for care. She was seen by Dr. William Garner III, who deemed that surgery was needed to correct her problem. However, he then decided not to operate and left her in the care of other surgeons before leaving town. During his absence, doctors discovered that Fischer suffered from ischemic bowel disease and that most of her long intestine had died. Fischer herself almost died as well, but doctors were able to save her life as well as a mere two feet of intestine.

Today, Fischer struggles with weakness, malnourishment, and the inability to live an active life. She was not able to pursue her dreams of becoming a surgical technologist because of her health condition. She requires a life of medication and will always have a chronically bloated abdomen.

Before going to trial, her medical malpractice case was processed by Indiana Malpractice Review System. The jury awarded her $1.5 million, but medical malpractice caps in Indiana will only allow her to receive $1.25 million.