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Litigation Funding Blog

Orthopedic surgeon leaves patient a paraplegic

November 6, 2013

A South Carolina orthopedic surgeon leaves a patient a paraplegic. Jury awards one of the largest judgments in the state for medical malpractice.

The Green family of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina was awarded $2.85 million in a medical malpractice case where a surgeon re-routed Randy Green from a pre-operative waiting area to get a CAT scan, even though Green’s vital signs were not stable.

Green sustained severe injuries in a car accident in 2004, including severed arteries. He was taken to the hospital for surgery. While being prepped, the surgeon ordered a CAT scan. The resulting half hour delay, when the man’s blood pressure was 72 over 56 and considered dangerous, sent Green into cardiac and respiratory arrest. He was brought back to life by an E.R. doctor and anesthesiologist. However, by then, a portion of the man’s spinal cord had died, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

At trial, even expert medical witnesses on behalf of the surgeon agreed the patient should not have been taken for a CAT scan with a blood pressure reading that low. When the patient had a heart attack, his body went without oxygen for up to eight minutes and 27 seconds. The end result was the jury agreeing that the medical negligence in this case was life-altering and egregious.

The Green family may not have known about litigation funding; an emergency lawsuit cash advance that could have helped them cope financially while waiting for their case to go to trial. Pre-settlement funding is for qualified plaintiffs that apply for a lawsuit loan, after they have hired a lawyer to handle their case. In just minutes, an application may be filled out, online or by phone. Once this is done, the application is reviewed and if approved, the litigation funding is sent directly to the plaintiff’s bank account within 24 to 48 hours.

The funding is most often used by plaintiffs to pay for medical bills, but it is also available for them to pay their recurring financial obligations, such as student loans, car payments, rent or the mortgage. While a plaintiff with pre-settlement funding is waiting for their case to be heard, they may turn down any overtures from insurance companies chasing them to settle quickly and for less cash than they may be awarded in court.

While litigation funding is not necessarily for everyone, it is worth checking out, as it may be just the right kind of lifesaver needed when you need it the most.

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