Appendicitis, doctor's negligence ?

[kc73837]

Hi, I'm in Los Angeles and wondering if I have a case to file for a small claims? I had appendicitis 2 months ago. I didnt know and thought it was just stomach pain. It got worse so I went to see a doctor 2 weeks later, on a Thursday. The doctor told me to go get an xray and I will get the result back in a couple of days. I got the result the following Monday and said everything was fine. So I wasnt worried. Then it started to get worse again, so I went to see the doctor again the Thursday of the same week. She said it might be serious and told me to go to the ER right away. My appendicitis ruptured already. The surgeon said if I couldve come to the hospital a week earlier, then it would be a very simple procedure. Now that it ruptured and infected my large and small intestines, if I have surgery, I would need to remove part of my large and small intestines. So he suggested going with antibiotics treatment and if it works, I can remove my appendix 2-3 months later. So I was in the hospital for 5 days getting antibiotics treatment. Now I got the hospital bill and it was 3500. Wondering if I can sue the doctor for negligence? Thanks for your advice in advance

 

[LdiJ]

Hi, I'm in Los Angeles and wondering if I have a case to file for a small claims? I had appendicitis 2 months ago. I didnt know and thought it was just stomach pain. It got worse so I went to see a doctor 2 weeks later, on a Thursday. The doctor told me to go get an xray and I will get the result back in a couple of days. I got the result the following Monday and said everything was fine. So I wasnt worried. Then it started to get worse again, so I went to see the doctor again the Thursday of the same week. She said it might be serious and told me to go to the ER right away. My appendicitis ruptured already. The surgeon said if I couldve come to the hospital a week earlier, then it would be a very simple procedur. Now that it ruptured and infected my large and small intestines, if I have surgery, I would need to remove part of my large and small intestines. So he suggested going with antibiotics treatment and if it works, I can remove my appendix 2-3 months later. So I was in the hospital for 5 days getting antibiotics treatment. Now I got the hospital bill and it was 3500. Wondering if I can sue the doctor for negligence? Thanks for your advice in advance

I think it would cost you more in attorney fees and court costs to try to pursue it than the cost of the hospital bill if the hospital bill is really 3500.00. However, at the same time 5 days in the hospital should be more like 3500.00 a day for 5 days, so its questionable whether you actually have the full bills yet.

 

[cbg]

Maybe, maybe not.

You can have your medical records reviewed by a malpractice attorney, but one thing I do know is that appendicitis presents very differently in different people, making it actually very difficult to effectively diagnose.