Penny causes a case of medical malpractice?

The majority of Massachusetts mothers become concerned when their child becomes ill. If the child does not quickly begin to show signs of improvement, a doctor's appointment is usually made in an effort to determine the cause of the problem and resolve it as quickly as possible. While visiting the doctor's office, the mother assumes that the doctor will accurately diagnose the problem. However, one mother is now claiming that instead of an accurate diagnoses, she and her son were left with a possible medical malpractice claim.

After her 8-month-old son became ill with a fever and a rash, the mother sought medical attention from her local doctor's office. The doctor diagnosed the boy with a viral infection and sent them home. However, the boy's condition worsened and the mother sought additional treatment on several different occasions. Additionally, she requested that additional testing be done.

After receiving little satisfaction from the doctor's office, the mother took her child to the emergency room. An X-ray indicated that a penny was stuck in the boy's esophagus. The penny was removed and tested. Based upon the condition of the penny, it was determined that it had been in the boy's esophagus for approximately three weeks and was the cause of his fever, rash and breathing problems. It also caused large ulcers to form.

Fortunately for this child, his mother did not give up when one doctor appeared to be unable to resolve her son's medical problem. If a Massachusetts family finds themselves in a similar situation, they too will most likely face both medical and financial concerns as a result. It may be in their best interest to discuss the situation with experienced counsel to determine if a case for medical malpractice should be explored.

Source: ktla.com, "Long Beach Mother Claims Malpractice After Providers Ignored Symptoms of 8-Month-Old Boy With Penny Stuck in Esophagus", Cindy Von Quednow and Kimberly Cheng, Nov. 17, 2016