What Happened
Our firm successfully resolved a catastrophic medical malpractice case after a physician improperly placed a femoral central line into an artery instead of a vein, causing a young mother to lose her leg and hip.
The evidence showed the physician failed to use ultrasound guidance—the accepted standard of care—and inserted the catheter using anatomical landmarks despite the patient being critically ill, morbidly obese, and in shock. After placement, the physician failed to properly verify that the catheter was in the vein before powerful vasopressor medications were infused.
Because the medications were delivered directly into the artery, blood flow to the leg was cut off, causing catastrophic ischemia and tissue death. Within days, our client underwent a hip disarticulation amputation, one of the most severe forms of limb loss.
As a result of the injury, our client permanently lost her mobility and independence, requires wheelchairs and assistive devices, and faces lifelong prosthetic, rehabilitation, and medical needs.
Practice Areas Involved
This result arose from the kind of care reviewed on these pages. If something similar happened in your family, they explain what the records are read for.