Couple say Thomas Memorial Hospital negligent in stroke care

CHARLESTON - A Kanawha County couple are suing Herbert J. Thomas Memorial Hospital Association after they claim it was negligent in its stroke care.

Herbert J. Thomas Memorial Hospital Association is doing business as Thomas Memorial Hospital.

Drs. Ananthan Krishnathas and Philip Berry were also named as defendants in the suit.

On Jan. 5, Mia Huffman awakened at her home at a little after 5 a.m. and spoke with her husband, and at approximately 5:20 a.m., Mark Huffman found his wife slumped over in the bed with left-side weakness and numbness and impaired speech, according to a complaint filed April 10 in Kanawha Circuit Court

The Huffmans claim an ambulance was called and Mia Huffman was taken to the defendant hospital at approximately 6 a.m.

From the time Mia Huffman arrived at the emergency department until approximately 10 a.m., she says she received no thrombolytics for her ischemic stroke.

The Huffmans claim Mia Huffman had a CT scan at 7:39 a.m., which confirmed that she had suffered an ischemic stroke with no evidence of acute intracranial hemorrhage. After admission around 10:15 a.m., Dr. Darshan Dave was consulted and by the time of his examination, Mia Huffman had complete hemiparesis of the left side, did not follow any commands and was lethargic and mostly non-verbal, the suit says.

Mia Huffman's diagnosis was acute stroke involving the left side of the body manifested as left side hemiplegia and aphasia and she was transferred to Charleston Area Medical Center for treatment, according to the suit.

The Huffmans claim they did not receive adequate information regarding treatment options during the morning on Jan. 5 and the defendants failed to advise them of the option of thrombolyic treatment of her stroke or the fact that a delay in diagnosis and treatment could jeopardize and/or limit her treatment options.

The defendant physicians acted negligently, carelessly, willfully and wantonly or with reckless disregard of risk of harm to Mia Huffman, which caused her to suffer a permanent and debilitating injury, according to the suit.

The Huffmans are seeking compensatory and punitive damages with pre- and post-judgment interest. They are being represented by Richard D. Lindsay and Matthew C. Lindsay of Tabor Lindsay & Associates.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Tod J. Kaufman.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 13-C-700