Botched Blood Draw Results In Indiana Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

Posted on Feb 24, 2012

A former ironworker who suffered serious nerve damage during a blood draw was awarded $2.5 million in an Indiana medical malpractice lawsuit.

According to local news sources, Terrance Potts went to Illiana Surgery and Medical Center in 2000 in order to have blood tests conducted before a carpal tunnel surgery took place on his left hand the following day. However, the man alleged that during the blood draw, the medical staffer poked the needle through his vein and into a nerve, causing permanent medical issues including complex regional pain syndrome.

After the incident, the man found that the person who drew his blood, Salwa Gomaa, was a doctor in Egypt but was not even a nurse at the time of the blood draw.

In the Indiana med mal lawsuit, the Indiana surgical center claimed that Potts had exaggerated his ailment and that the procedure had been done according to the standard of care. They put forth that his medical issues could have been caused by his previous health complaints.

A Lake County jury sided with the plaintiff and awarded the man and his wife $2.5 million in damages. The Indiana cap on medical malpractice awards means that the man will receive $1.25 million. 

James R. Keller
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