Texas Woman Sues UTMB in Malpractice Lawsuit
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Mar 04 2010 at 2:29 PM
Nursing Home Negligence >>

GALVESTON – Latasha Olivares, a Texas City woman, is suing the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), claiming a number of doctors at the branch delayed surgery on her father who had a serious problem with his esophagus.

According to the lawsuit filed February 25 in Galveston County District Court, the physicians in the medical branch did not operate on Joe Allen Stewart’s ruptured esophagus, though he arrived at the hospital with a diagnosis from St. John’s Hospital in Nassau Bay on Dec. 4, 2009.

Stewart eventually died on December 20 after a second surgery. Latasha Olivares argue that identifying the critical nature of Stewart’s condition contributed to his death.

Before Stewart was shifted to UTMB, he had been admitted at St. John’s Hospital.

The complaint states Stewart was suffering from a ruptured esophagus that required an immediate surgery to repair the rupture. Though the physicians were aware of this, they didn’t proceed with the operation right away, according to the lawsuit.

Additional tests in the following day showed the requirement of an emergency surgery. The doctors told Stewart’s family that the surgery was successful, the complaint says.

Subsequently, a gastrostomy tube was placed in Stewart’s stomach for sustenance, but would become dislodged. According to the lawsuit, this went unnoticed for a number of days.

Latasha Olivares claims that many liters of food had been infused in Stewart’s abdomen by the time the doctors noticed the displaced gastrostomy tube. Once the displaced gastrostomy tube was noticed, Steward underwent a further surgery, after which he became septic and passed away.

Latasha Olivares’ lawsuit blames UTMB and its doctors for four counts of wrongdoing. Misconduct of UTMB physicians caused Stewart's unnecessary pain, suffering and death, according to the complaint.

Latasha Olivares is seeking a jury trial and unspecified amount of damages.

The case has been assigned to Galveston County 122nd District Court Judge John Ellisor.

Comments