Jury Awards Fla. Woman $1.27 Million For Leg Amputation
West Palm Beach woman awarded $1.27 after leg amputated
Received by Newsfinder from AP
May 11, 2006 4:38 Eastern Time
A jury has awarded a West Palm Beach, Fla. woman $1.27 million after part of her leg had to be amputated because it was infected with maggots following surgery.
Staff at Renova Health Center in Lake Park neglected to treat one of Mary Stewart's wound, the jury ruled Tuesday.
The 72-year-old Stewart said a nursing home doctor discovered hundreds of maggots 18 days after Stewart had surgery at Renova. Her leg was so infected it had to be amputated to her knee.
Stewart had surgery on her left foot because she suffers from gangrene and doctors were attempting to restore blood flow to the her left foot.
Even though nurses tended to the wound, "rotting flesh attracted some flies,'' Andy McCumber, the attorney representing Renova, told The Palm Beach Post.
Stewart's attorney, Scott Fischer, told the newspaper that the woman's doctor testified that it looked like new gauze was put on the wound, but that it was not cleaned.
Stewart said she was pleased with the decision.
"Maybe I can have money to pay for some of the things I need. Right now, I'm practically broke. I need people to come do my laundry, my shopping,'' she said.
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