Woman Gets Second Medical Malpractice Trial After Losing her Limbs

In a rare move, a Florida judge decided to throw out a jury’s verdict and grant Lisa Strong a new trial in her medical malpractice claim.  He felt the evidence was overwhelming in the case where a kidney stone was misdiagnosed causing a life threatening infection that resulted in amputation of all four of Strong’s limbs.

In September of 2003, Strong was at work when she started feeling ill.  She decided to go to the ER when her fever hit 106 degrees and she was having trouble walking.

Strong immediately informed the nurse treating her that she’d had a history of kidney stones and felt that she was experiencing another one.  But her concerns were ignored, and so was her kidney stone.  Left untreated for a month, the stone led to a deadly infection and septic shock which cut off the blood flow to her arms and legs.

When the infection first started to set in, Strong thought if she exercised she could get the circulation to her limbs back.  She was gravely mistaken.  A month after her first ER visit, doctors were forced to amputate all four of her limbs to save her life.

Ms. Strong sued the doctors for negligence but the jury ruled against her.  Judge Charles M. Greene disagreed, however, and reversed the jury’s decision.  He stated that the verdict was “contrary to the law and the manifest weight of the evidence”.

It’s extremely rare that a judge reverse a jury’s verdict.  In fact, it happens in less than a half a percent of cases.  Judge Greene clearly saw the impact that the misdiagnosis and other medical mistakes had on Ms. Strong’s life and felt it warranted justice.

Learn more about Lisa’s story at www.lisastrong.org.