It's atrocioius that doctors do not carry enough liability insurance: A surgical error lawsuit

Here’s the comment by a reader who was the subject of my recent blog post:

I am the person mentioned in the article which Dr. Paul Cho disabled while addicted to narcotic prescriptions which he was writing for himself. I think it is atrocious that these doctors do not carry enough liability insurance. Not to mention that the Texas Medical Board did not pull his license; barely reprimanding the doctor at all. Who is out there to protect the patient from these doctors? Something needs to be done. Dr. Cho simply moved out of El Paso to open another practice in Fort Worth. Why, so he can disable more people? These doctors need to start taking responsibility for their actions and the Texas Medical Board needs to start doing what they are supposed to be there to do...PROTECT THE COMMUNITY.

Thank you,
Demian M. McElhinny

Advice: Tell your story to warn others.


Read the original blog post, or read more from the source article in the Oct. 5 issue of the New York Times.

The surgeon later admitted he was addicted: A spinal surgery lawsuit

Demian McElhinny, 33, a former hospice pharmacy technician in El Paso, recently settled claims against a neurological surgeon for spinal surgery that left him and his family impoverished. He said he emerged with "pennies on the dollar." His wife, Kelly, found work as a school bus driver, he said, while "I'm at home being a housewife to my two boys."

Demian's surgeon, Dr. Paul Henry Cho, later admitted to the medical board that he was addicted to a narcotic cough syrup and had written fraudulent prescriptions. Dr. Cho's license to prescribe drugs was suspended, although it was soon restored, and he moved from El Paso to a hospital in Fort Worth.

Demian collected so little because four years ago, Texas voters passed an amendment to the state constitution that limits malpractice awards.

Advice to victims of malpractice: If state law prevents you from collecting for your injury, your best form of accountability may be telling your story to the public.

Read another neurosurgical error story, or read the source story by Ralph Blumenthal in the October 5, New York Times.