Sepsis Misdiagnosis Lawsuit Results in $18M Settlement for Amputee

A New York woman has been awarded $18 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit filed after she had to have her hands and feet amputated because of a sepsis misdiagnosis. 

According to allegations raised in the complaint, Tabitha Mullings went to the Brooklyn Hospital Center emergency room in 2008, where she was diagnosed as having kidney stones. She was given pain killers and sent home.

The next day her condition got worse and she twice called 911, but the New York City fire department medics refused to take her to the hospital, the lawsuit claims. Her fiancé took her to Fort Greene Hospital the following day, where she was diagnosed as having a sepsis infection.

By the time the correct diagnosis had been made, the infection had already spread through Mullings’ body, causing her to fall into a coma and suffer gangrene in all of her extremities. The sepsis infection ended up costing her both hands, both feet and leaving her partially blind.

The case was brought against Brooklyn Hospital Center for sepsis infection misdiagnosis and against New York City for medical negligence in failing to take her to the hospital when she called for help.

According to the settlement agreement, the hospital will pay Mullings $9.4 million and the city will pay her $8.5 million. Both defendants said they reached the settlement because they were concerned that a jury may have awarded Mullings much more due to the nature and severity of her injury.

The defendants attempted to have Mullings’ lawsuit dismissed, but a judge rejected their efforts. Despite the agreement to settle the sepsis misdiagnosis lawsuit, Brooklyn Hospital Center maintains that it did nothing wrong.