B.C. rancher suing Interior Health, 2 doctors for operating on wrong ankle
Global News
The medical malpractice lawsuit claims the two doctors didn’t know they operating on the wrong ankle until nurses pointed it out around 90 minutes into the surgery.
A B.C. rancher is suing two Vernon doctors and Interior Health, claiming an ankle surgery was botched as they operated on the wrong leg.
In court documents filed in Kamloops last week, Julie Alison Reid alleges she was admitted to Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH) on March 5, 2020, to have an arthroscopic fusion of her left ankle.
The medical malpractice lawsuit names Dr. Julian Sernik and Dr. Robert Hillis as defendants, and claims despite the two confirming with Reid which ankle they were to operate on prior to the surgery, they didn’t know they working on the wrong ankle until nurses pointed it out around 90 minutes into the operation.
Reid is seeking relief for general damages, special damages plus past and future costs of health-care services.
In the statement of facts, the lawsuit says Interior Health, VJH, Sernik and Hillis owed a duty of care to provide appropriate and proper care plus assessment and treatment for the plaintiff’s medical conditions.
“Prior to the operation, (Reid) spoke to Dr. Sernik and/or Dr. Hillis and staff of the Health Authority and VJH and confirmed the correct limb for the operation and marked and signed her left leg,” says part of the seven-page notice of civil claim.
“After putting the plaintiff under general anesthetic, the defendants, Dr. Sernik, Dr. Hillis and employees and staff of VJH and the Health Authority in fact performed an arthroscopic examination and debridement of the plaintiff’s right ankle, where cartilage was removed from the plaintiff’s right ankle.
“The operation on the plaintiff’s right ankle continued for approximately 90 minutes until the defendants, Dr. Sernik and Dr. Hillis, were notified by circulating nurses that they were, in fact, operating on the wrong ankle of the plaintiff.”
A Saskatoon woman has used naloxone kits multiple times to stop overdoses. Some experts say the kits are significantly helping decrease fatality in overdose cases.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told members of Congress this week that next year's joint review 'will depend on the successful resolution' of several issues.
The Appeal Court's three-judge panel has declared the Oath of Allegiance requirement unconstitutional and of no force or effect, meaning it is no longer required in Alberta.
Residents of Outlook, Sask. could remain without safe drinking water for several days, with an official saying it's "difficult to say" when access will return.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Chow said there would be an update on the status of the rapid transit line next month, confirming it would not be open to the public before.
Since applying a cap on international students at the beginning of 2024, the federal government has been reducing the number of applicants each year.
Children are especially vulnerable to the new strain of influenza, with most infections being detected in people under 19, according to Health Canada.
Nova Scotia RCMP say they issued a ticket and seized cannabis and cash after executing a search warrant on Monday at a cannabis dispensary in Digby, N.S.
The Mounties stressed the accused didn’t intend to damage essential infrastructure or harm national security.
A proposed settlement of $18 million has been reached in a class action filed on behalf of passengers of Air Canada Flight 624, 10 years after the crash landing.
Manitoba’s police watchdog says charges won't be laid after a shooting left one man dead and an officer recovering from a stab wound to the throat.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said he played a role in the floor crossings and hinted that he expects more MPs to cross the floor over to the Liberals.
Rodriguez's leadership campaign has been under scrutiny, with allegations people may have received cash rewards in exchange for votes and that donors had their money reimbursed.