Untreated infections are commonly seen in nursing home abuse and neglect cases in which undetected or ignored bed sores and other wounds are left unattended. Severe infections incur as a result of not treating such wounds and leave individuals who already cannot care for themselves with further long-term or permanent health complications.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are cases in which healthy, able-bodied individuals are inflicted with severe untreated infections that cause long-term (or permanent) damages, drastically altering their once normal lifestyles.
A recent medical malpractice trial told the story of a 52-year-old construction worker whose routine procedure left him with an infection that would change the course of life as he knew it. An injection administered in conjunction with the man’s MRI caused an infection so severe he was admitted to a hospital days later. He was released by the defendant orthopedic surgeon without treatment, despite cultures confirming a serious infection was present in the man’s hip.
Within three weeks of the MRI, the infection had damaged the man’s hip beyond repair, and he had to undergo transplant surgery. While this hip surgery would have been otherwise unnecessary, the man experienced implications from the procedure that prevented him from returning to his construction job and decreased his overall quality of life.
The jury found the defendant orthopedic surgeon liable for the damages suffered by the plaintiff.
SOURCE: https://www.medicalmalpracticelawyers.com/blog/2-3-new-york-medical-malpractice-verdict-untreated-nfection/