When we go into the doctors office, we usually rest assured they are going to take care of us. They’ve been to school for years to obtain their license, they’ve spent countless hours practicing their trade, and they always seem so sure of what they are doing. It’s easy to forget that they are only human and just as subject to making mistakes as the rest of us. The scary part is that when a doctor makes a mistake, our health or our loved ones are at risk.
It is important to stay on your guard when you visit your doctor and keep an eye out for any medical malpractice. Even the most reputable and well-respected doctors make mistakes. To illustrate just how horrible a mistake can be in the medical industry, take a look at some of the craziest medical malpractice instances in recent history.
- Psychiatrist Insists Patient Has 120 Personalities. In Wisconsin, psychiatrist Kenneth Olson exhibited behavior that makes any average person question the sanity of himself rather than his patient. He convinced a patient that she had a grand total of 120 different personalities- including personalities of a duck and of the devil. He also later admitted to having performed an exorcism on her, which he deemed necessary due to his belief that she was the bride of Satan. He ended up charging Blue Shield for treatment of all 120 personalities, totalling a bill of $300,000. The damage done to that poor woman’s mental health is immeasurable, but she sued and received a settlement of $2.4 million.
- Amputation Gone Wrong. Willie King was scheduled to have his leg amputated shortly after being diagnosed with diabetes- he had a lot of medical issues to worry about. Terrifyingly enough, he awoke from the surgery to see that he had had the wrong leg amputated. He finally did have the bad leg amputated and received a settlement for losing both legs.
- Screwdriver Spine. This one proves truth is stranger than fiction. While carrying out back surgery that required titanium rods in the spine, Dr. Robert Ricketson misplaced the necessary rods. Evidently, he thought a screwdriver would work just as well- he snapped the shaft off a nearby screwdriver and placed that in the patients spine. The piece broke two years later, and after numerous surgical attempts to repair the damage, the man died. His family was given a large financial compensation.
