A woman handling a rattlesnake during a church service (!?) dies after being bitten. The family is suing the hospital:
Police said at the time that Long was handling a yellow timber rattler during a service at East London Holiness Church when the snake bit her on the right cheek . . .. . . A nurse met Long and those with her in the parking area outside the emergency room. Rather than take Long in right away, the nurse engaged Long and her family “in a lengthy and time-consuming series of questions” that went far beyond getting information needed to treat the snakebite, the lawsuit states.
(via Overlawyered)
Related posts:
- Former med-mal lawyer: "Fewer than 10 percent of cases were the doctors fault"
- "Primary-care practices in the United States now depend on luring physicians away from other countries"
- Can primary care only innovate in large practices?
- Maggie Mahar: Removing the hazardous waste from healthcare
- "Why do doctors treat anyone who practices malpractice law?"
- Refusing to wash hands on religious grounds
- Religious bigotry
KevinMD.com on Facebook
{ 3 comments }
Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable.
After reading the article, I don’t entirely disagree with this lawsuit. Yes, the woman deliberately held a venomous snake, which bit her and killed her. However, if her condition really had deteriorated the way the family is alleging, and the doctor really did refuse to intubate a patient with facial and neck swelling who was dyspneic, then that is malpractice.
Besides, we still treat alcoholics who drive drunk and have car accidents, or people who smoke and get lung cancer. We can’t really judge her actions that caused her injury without passing judgment on other people’s similar risk-taking behavior.
Shouldn’t they sue the church as well? After all it was the church that told them that they wouldn’t be harmed.
Reminds of this story from last year. Also pretty funny take on why there was no divine intervention
Comments on this entry are closed.