Lawsuit Alleges Hospital Patient Caught On Fire During Procedure: A Tennessee medical malpractice lawsuit has been filed by the wife of a hospital patient who allegedly caught on fire during a medical procedure, after which he died. The wife’s Tennessee medical malpractice wrongful death lawsuit alleges that her husband was receiving oxygen through a mask when medical staff used a defibrillator to restore a normal heartbeat. The family’s Tennessee medical malpractice lawyer stated, “They put pads on him and left the mask on him and pushed the shock button, and there’s a spark and he catches fire.”
An autopsy reportedly determined that the man died from a combination of cardiovascular disease and thermal burns.
The hospital allegedly told the man’s wife that the fire occurred due to a faulty wire in one of the pads that caused a spark that led to ignition of the oxygen being supplied to her husband. The wife’s Tennessee medical malpractice wrongful death lawsuit alleges, however, that it was medical negligence in failing to stop the flow of oxygen and remove the mask from her husband’s face before using the defibrillator that caused the explosive fire: “They were all over that room. There were like 10 to 12 people. It just blew and they started patting him down and I saw his hand, and it was on fire. I was saying, ‘Put him out.'”
The incident reportedly occurred on November 24, 2022 (Thanksgiving Day) at Tristar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Surgical Fires
The definition of a surgical fire is one that occurs in, on, or around a patient undergoing a surgical procedure. Very few surgical fires are unpreventable, and all surgical fires should be considered a never event. The number of surgical fires likely ranges from 550 to 650 annually, which is about as common as incorrect surgical site procedures.
“The importance of surgical fire prevention cannot be diminished and is an essential concern for surgeons. Surgical fires cause harm to the patient, increase adverse outcomes, increase the cost of health care, and are associated with significant litigation. Of 114 cases identified involving surgical fires, 60% of these resulted in a median award of $215000 to the plaintiff. Given that OR fires can occur on or in the patient, the risk of substantial harm to the patient, rather than just to the surgical suite, heightens the need for prevention. Of particular concerns is that a fire on or in a patient can cause burns that may lead to irreversible tissue damage. This tissue damage occurs by denaturation and coagulation of proteins. With this damage, there is an activation of the inflammatory cascade which can cause vasoconstriction, vasodilation, increased capillary permeability, and edema locally, as well as at distant tissues.”
If you or a loved one may have been injured as a result of medical malpractice in Tennessee or in another U.S. state, you should promptly find a Tennessee medical malpractice lawyer, or a medical malpractice lawyer in your state, who may investigate your medical malpractice claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a medical malpractice case, if appropriate.
Click here to visit our website or call us toll-free in the United States at 800-295-3959 to find medical malpractice attorneys in your state who may assist you.
Turn to us when you don’t know where to turn.