When physicians and other medical staff in Illinois and elsewhere are negligent, they should be held accountable. That appears to be the case in one medical malpractice lawsuit.

A man and his family were recently awarded $178 million after a jury found a hospital and doctor guilty of negligence for failing to diagnose and treat the man in a timely manner who suffered complications after having gastric bypass surgery.

Gastric bypass surgery is intended to help people lose weight by limiting the amount of food they can eat. While it is a procedure that is often done without any problems, the man in this case is now confined to a wheelchair, and is unable to see or speak.

In addition to negligence, the Florida hospital involved in the lawsuit was also found guilty of fraud. The hospital, the doctor and other surgeons were reportedly promoted as a team capable of performing gastric bypass surgery. However, the doctor in question was not qualified to perform the surgery. To avoid being held responsible for anything that went wrong, the hospital apparently had patients sign a form denying that the facility was somehow connected to the doctor or the team of surgeons.

Officials from the hospital deny any wrongdoing. They plan to pursue an appeal.

The man in this case will likely require care for the rest of his life due to errors made by his physician. Fortunately, there is recourse for cases like this. The millions of dollars that the man and his family received will be put to good use as they continue to care for him.

Source: The Tennessean, "HCA hospital loses $178M judgment in Fla. negligence case," Getahn Ward, Jan. 24, 2012