Close

Emergency Room Paralysis Lawsuit

Khoshkhou v. Emergency Medicine Associates

This emergency room medical malpractice claim was filed in Montgomery County when emergency room staff failed to immobilize a man's cervical spine for the first three days of his hospitalization, in spite of the fact that his injury resulted from a fall. It was filed in Health Claims Arbitration on January 26, 2018, and it is the 48th medical malpractice case filed in Maryland this year.

Summary of Plaintiff's Allegations

A 47-year-old man with a severe mental handicap suffered an unwitnessed fall in his home. His father found him lying at the base of a staircase and called an ambulance. The emergency medical services personnel noted that the man had an abrasion on his right forehead, indicating that he'd hit his head during the fall.

Emergency room staff at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center determined that the man suffered trauma to his head and neck region, an altered mental status, and an inability to walk. He was unable to recount the incident and had minimal movement in his extremities. Health care providers ordered a CT scan of the head and cervical spine, but the results could not explain the man's symptoms.

The man was not immobilized at any time during his evaluation. He was not placed in a cervical collar and no steps were taken to clear his c-spine. Because the man was unable to sit up or walk, he was admitted to the hospital. Still, he was not immobilized and he did not undergo any repeat imaging to further investigate his inability to walk. Even the physician providing a neurological consult failed to order an MRI to rule out a spinal cord injury.

The man's condition deteriorated over the next several days. No health care provider attempted to clear or secure his cervical spine, monitor his neurologic function, or properly control his blood pressure during that time.

Finally, after three days in the hospital, an MRI of the man's cervical spine was ordered. The MRI showed a disc herniation at C3-C4, which was causing ventral compression of the spinal cord and spinal canal stenosis. There was also evidence of compression and stenosis at C4-C5.

A second neurological consultant responded properly, immediately immobilizing the man's neck and recommending further imaging studies. Unfortunately, the man's spinal cord injury had progressed for too long and the damage was already done. He was transferred to Georgetown Hospital for a surgery on his cervical spine, but the delay in diagnosis and treatment left him permanently paralyzed.

Additional Comments
  • Even the most basically trained first aid responders know that spinal immobilization should be applied to all patients who, based on the mechanism of their injury, have a potential spine injury. The three dangerous mechanisms for spinal injuries are 1) a fall from a height greater than three feet or a roll-and-tumble fall, 2) a sudden, compressing blow pushing the weight of the body against the head, and 3) a high-speed collision, on bicycles or any type of motorized vehicle. Since this claimant fell down the stairs, his cervical spine should have been immobilized from the moment he was picked up in the ambulance.
  • Difficulty with balance or walking is a well-known emergency sign of a spinal cord injury after an accident. Considering the claimant's mechanism of injury, symptoms, and declining health over his three-day hospitalization, it is hard to fathom, assuming the facts in the complaint, that his health care providers did not suspect a spinal cord injury sooner.
Jurisdiction
  • Montgomery County
Defendants
  • An internist in Olney
  • Emergency Medicine Associates, P.A. d/b/a Emergency Medicine Associates, P.A., P.C.
  • The consulting neurologist
  • Capital Neuro Care, P.A.
  • Montgomery General Hospital, Inc. t/a MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
Hospitals Where Patient was Treated
  • MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
  • Georgetown Hospital
Negligence
  • Failing to recognize that the claimant had suffered a spinal cord injury.
  • Failing to immobilize and/or clear the claimant's cervical spine.
  • Failing to appreciate the significance of the claimant's inability to sit up or walk.
  • Failing to order appropriate and timely tests, including an MRI of the cervical spine.
Specific Counts Pled
  • As a result of the defendants' medical negligence, the claimant suffered severe physical and emotional pain and permanent neurologic impairment.
Getting a Lawyer for Your Malpractice Claim

Have you suffered a hospital injury due to the negligence of a doctor? Miller & Zois can help you. Call us at (800) 553-8082 and speak to one of our medical malpractice attorneys who can help you or get an online case review.

More Malpractice Claim Information
Medical Malpractice
Client Reviews
★★★★★
When my sister was killed, we turned to Miller & Zois to fight for us. They stood by us every step of the way and we ended up getting more money than we asked for. C.B. (Baltimore City)
★★★★★
My prior lawyer was not able to get the insurance companies to offer a single penny in my case. Then my lawyer referred me to Ron and Laura. It was a long fight and they fought for me every step of the way. My case settled for $1.31 million. A.A. (Baltimore City)
★★★★★
I did not get an offer for my case because the insurance company said they were denying coverage. My lawyer then referred me to Miller & Zois. After Miller & Zois got involved, the offer was raised to $150,000. We thought that was not fair so Miller & Zois took my case to arbitration. Our case was well prepared and perfectly executed. The arbitrator awarded me $405,000. R.V. (Anne Arundel County)
★★★★★
I refer all of my serious injury cases in Maryland to Miller & Zois because they turn over every last stone to maximize the value of their case. The last case I referred to them settled for $1.2 million. John Selinger (New York personal injury lawyer)
★★★★★
As former insurance defense lawyers, Miller & Zois 'know the other side's playbook'. Lawyers Weekly USA
Contact Us For a Free Consultation

I understand that submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. I also understand that Miller & Zois works with multiple law firms on these claims and that I may be contacted by an affiliated law firm working with Miller & Zois on these lawsuits.