US girl to get $10 million for amputations

[Amara]

SACRAMENTO, California (AP) — The family of a California girl whose extremities were amputated because of a lengthy emergency room delay has agreed to a $10 million malpractice settlement.

Malyia Jeffers was 2 years old when her parents took her to Sacramento's Methodist Hospital with a fever, skin discoloration and weakness. She was seen by a doctor five hours later and was flown to Stanford University's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

Stanford doctors found that Streptococcus A bacteria had invaded Malyia's blood and organs. Doctors amputated her feet, her left hand and part of her right hand.

A confidentialit y agreement prevented attorneys in the case from discussing the settlement, but details were available in court documents.
Most of the money will be placed in a trust for the girl's current needs and an annuity that will provide her with $16,000 a month when she turns 18, The Sacramento Bee reported.

The settlement with the Sacramento hospital and various emergency room workers ranks among the highest in California history, according to medical malpractice attorneys.

"We are pleased to have reached a resolution with the family and we wish Malyia only the very best in the future," Methodist Hospital spokeswoman Erin MacEneaney said.

Though many of Malyia's medical costs were covered by insurance, the family still has hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses, leaving the family broke, her father, Ryan Jeffers, told the Bee.

He said his daughter still suffers extreme itching and pain in her limbs.

"Yes, we got a settlement," Jeffers said. "But all of this has made our lives miserable, and it's not over."

Malyia spent more than three months at Stanford before being admitted to another hospital in Sacramento. She is still undergoing therapy, and her family said she will need expensive medications, custom prosthetics, special garments and wheelchairs for the rest of her life.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-girl-10-million-amputations-191056837.html

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/02/12/3398565/malyias-road-to-recovery.html

[tetrapod]

That's good to hear.  Still, life can be tough without your arms and legs.  She will have to use the money to hire people to help her around the house.  I'm sure she would rather have her arms and legs instead of the $5 millions.  I assume the lawyers get $5 millions.

[nightrider]

No money in the world can replace one's limb(s). Whether this case falls under malpractice or not, a lot of hospitals do leave their patients unattended or even to the point the patients life is threatened. It's understandable and important that doctors need to take their time and make careful diagnoses but some docs are just inattentive or irresponsible.

[thePoster]

It's understandable and important that doctors need to take their time and make careful diagnoses but some docs are just inattentive or irresponsible.

Only way this is possible is for each patient to have their own doctor/nurse.  That is the only way.  Either that the doctor will get sidetracked and thats when they start "triaging" their own patients and unfortunately things like what happened to that girl happens. 

You have to understand they are taking care or more than one patient at a time. 

So for 400 patients, you'd need 400 Doctor's/nurse.  Of course this will never happen and so things like this will always happen to patients.  Oh wells, such is society.

[Renaissance]

is she hmong?  y is this in hmong news?

[winerice]

is she hmong?  y is this in hmong news?

she is mix........... white/hmong

[primetime]

I remember reading this, sad shiet.

[sweet_luvin]

sooo sad. i would rather have an arm and leg.

[Toua]

I WOULD RATHER have my limbs vs 10 mils.

[cherries]

....

[BCSPKKTM]

I'd rather have my body parts back. Poor girl. She's just a baby and she won't even remember what it's like to walk and use her hands.   

The lawyers will get half the money. The family will spend the rest taking care of her for the rest of her life.  There will be a lot of medical costs..they may need to buy a wheelchair accessible home. My friend's family had to spend a large portion of their settlement on building a wheelchair accessible home after her sister became paralyzed. 

[cali_lady]

The mother is Hmong ... Her sister is a good friend of mine.

[Ron Burgundy]

According to the Sac Bee link, mother's name is Leah Vang.

I feel so sad for that little girl...

[cali_lady]

According to the Sac Bee link, mother's name is Leah Vang.

I feel so sad for that little girl...

she's a Yang, not Vang 

[AppleBrook]

if she was a pure hmong, there wouldn't be a $10M.