CHARLES TOWN - A Washington, D.C., man has filed a suit against Jefferson Memorial Hospital and a doctor who treated him, claiming the doctor misread his x-ray and missed a kidney injury and fractured sacrum.
George Ramonas filed a suit Jan. 16 in Jefferson Circuit Court seeking $1 million from the hospital, Frederick W. Ammerman and Jeffrey Trent Cook.
According to the suit, Ramonas was in an automobile accident Sept. 19, 2005, and taken to the emergency room at Jefferson Memorial Hospital.
Ramonas had pain in his abdominal and pelvic areas.
According to the suit, Cook ordered x-rays, which were read by Ammerman.
"Dr. Ammerman misread the x-ray film as normal, when the film actually showed fractures to the sacrum," the suit says.
Cook then examined Ramonas and failed to diagnose the multiple fractures to Ramonas' sacrum and injury to the kidney, instead diagnosing Ramonas as having a muscle spasm.
According to the suit, Ramonas was sent home and told to "stay horizontal while sore, avoid sitting and use ice for pain." He was not prescribed any pain medications and was sent home on a two-hour drive to Washington, D.C.
"As the result of the improper diagnosis and failure to admit him to the hospital, Ramonas suffered renal failure," the suit says.
Ramonas seeks $1 million from the defendants in compensatory damages, to cover his injuries and medical bills.
Attorney W. Howard Klatt is representing Ramonas.
Jefferson Circuit Court case number 08-C-14
D.C. man says doctor botched diagnosis
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