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Negligent Treatment at an Air Force Base Causes Woman to File Suit

By Ben Glass

pA woman who filed a medical malpractice suit against the U.S. Government after necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh eating infection, virtually destroyed her arm due to the negligent treatment of military doctors at an Air Force base.br / br / Jean Phillips, the former wife of an Air Force captain, filed the suit against the U.S. Government under the Federal Tort Claims Act. She claimed that in 2002, she sought treatment for pain and swelling in her right arm, but a military doctor at Scott Air Force Base failed to properly diagnose or treat her condition.br / br / Later, Phillips learned that she suffered from necrotizing fasciitis, which was able to progress because of the failure of the doctors to provide prompt treatment upon first presentation.br / br / Necrotizing fasciitis, which is also known as fasciitis necroticans, is a rare infection caused by flesh eating bacteria in the deeper layers of skin. The infection typically begins with severe pain, which may not be properly diagnosed or followed up on by doctors because of the outer skinrsquo;s appearance. However, without treatment the infection can rapidly progress and is fatal in nearly three-quarters of the cases.br / br / According to Philipsrsquo; suit, the Air Force base doctor dismissed her when she sought treatment for pain and swelling in her arm, telling her to take Motrin. Because of the doctorrsquo;s failure to treat and diagnose the infection, the bacteria virtually destroyed her right arm and she has been caused debilitating pain.br / br / Philips was awarded $8.6 million in damages against the U.S. Government for the military doctorsrsquo; negligence by a federal magistrate judge./pa href="http://northernvirginia.injuryboard.com/medical-malpractice/negligent-treatment-at-an-air-force-base-causes-woman-to-file-suit.aspx?googleid=253322"Originally posted/a at a href="http://www.InjuryBoard.com"InjuryBoard/a by a href="http://www.injuryboard.com/member-profiles/Ben-Glass"Ben Glass/a

Full post as published by Northern Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer on December 18, 2008 (boomark / email).