California Man Sues for Radiation Overdose

It’s not too often that we hear about radiation malpractice in the news, but unfortunately it does happen.  In fact, it happened just recently to a California man while undergoing a CT scan.  The man has subsequently filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Trevor Ree claims that a combination of faulty equipment and doctors’ negligence caused him to receive eight times the normal dose he should have received during a CT scan in December 2008.  In the days and weeks following, Ree’s hair and eyebrows began to fall out and he began experiencing red, flaky skin on his face and scalp.  He didn’t realize it at the time but these are all signs of radiation overdose.

Ree’s lawsuit also claims that about a month ago someone from the hospital contacted him and asked if he had experienced any negative side effects after the procedure.  He alleges that he was not told why they wanted to know and was never notified that he had received an overdose.

Some 206 patients are also named in the class action lawsuit because of their possible overexposure to the dangerous radiation.

Radiation therapy is used in different medical procedures utilizing a form of energy called ionizing radiation.  Although its purpose is typically to destroy bad cells such as those that are cancerous, it can also damage healthy cells so it should be used with the utmost caution to limit the patient’s exposure.

Overexposure or radiation overdose can cause a host of medical problems and almost always occurs at the hands of a negligent doctor.

If you think you may have received a dose of radiation that was too high, and have suffered subsequent injury or medical issues, it is a wise idea to contact a medical attorney immediately.  You may be a victim of radiation malpractice.