In unfortuante recent news, a Michigan medical malpractice lawsuit is being filed against Oakwood Hospital on behalf a 48 year old woman from Flat Rock, Michigan died shortly after having brain surgery. Her family alleges that the doctors at Oakwood hospital performed brain surgery on the wrong side of her head.

The woman arrived at the hospital on August 7, 2007 with a severe headache. Dr. Hasnain Haider-Shah found a leak inside her head and diagnosed her with an acute leak from an artery in her brain. The woman was rushed into emergency and surgery was performed immediately.

The suit claims that Dr. Hasnain Haider-Shah should have performed surgery on the left side of the brain but mistakenly performed surgery on her right side first, causing the woman to suffer severe brain damage.

Oakwood Hospital released a statement expressing their condolences and discussing their “Life Wings” program that requires every staff member to be properly trained so something like this never happens again. The suit has yet to be settled.

I am very sorry to hear about this medical malpractice and condolences go out to the family.

Our Michigan traumatic brain injury lawyers have obtained significant brain injury settlements for our clients who have suffered brain injuries and closed head injuries.  These include brain injuries suffered  in accidents, toxic exposures, and through medical malpractice.  Some samples of these settlements include:

• $3,750,000 settlement in a medical malpractice claim
• $1,800,000 settlement in a truck accident lawsuit
• $1,425,000 jury verdict in a slip and fall case
• $1,400,000 settlement in a child lead poisoning case

In determing the “value” of a traumatic brain injury claim, the degree and severity of the injury is extremely important.  Other factors include the extent of the impairments, the loss of income and future earning capacity, the need for supervised living and housing, and future medical expenses and educational expenses.  Because brain injury victims often have permanent impairments and disabilities, the claims are often significant.  T

In addition to the economic losses, the brain injury survivor’s life has often been completely interrupted and altered.  Simple things, like driving and cooking, can no longer be performed.  With psychological issues, memory problems, and other disturbances, the brain injury victim can no longer live close to the same life as he or she did before the injury.  The law permits for compensation for these losses.

It is important to choose a brain injury lawyer who understands the medical issues related to these types of injuries and the way that they affect the life of not only the victim, but the entire family.  Lawyers without this expertise will simply not obtain full justice for the victim.