Putnam hospital's negligence resulted in permanent damage to arm, woman alleges

WINFIELD - A Putnam County woman alleges a trip to the hospital for treatment of pneumonia resulted in the loss of one of her arms.

Sandra Fisher filed suit against Charleston Area Medical Center-Teays Valley on Feb. 18 in Putnam Circuit Court. In her complaint, Fisher, of Hurricane, alleges the failure of the CAMC-Teays Valley staff to properly monitor her while she was placed into a coma-like state while at the hospital in 2007 resulted in her sustaining permanent nerve damage to her right arm.

According to her suit, Fisher was admitted to CAMC-Teays Valley on Dec. 27, 2007, at the direction of Dr. James Akins. Records show she was admitted for respiratory failure secondary to pneumonia.

Upon admission, Fisher was placed in a "chemically induced unconscious state" until January 7, 2008. During this time, she alleges CAMC-Teays Valley staff "negligently and carelessly failed to properly monitor the positioning of [her] right arm and hand."

When she was brought out of the medically induced coma, and her tubes were removed, Fisher says she "experienced severe pain and weakness of her right hand and arm below her elbow." Later, she alleges was diagnosed with a "right ulnar neuropathy" that "permanently damag[ed] the right arm ulnar nerve and permanently impaired her ability to use her right arm and hand."

As a result of CAMC-Teays Valley's negligence, Fisher alleges she's incurred "severe pain and suffering" and "permanent damage to the ulnar nerve of her right hand and arm." In her suit, she specifies her medical expenses at $70,000, and lost income at $76,500.

Fisher seeks compensatory damages for her expenses, and lost income to-day, plus punitive damages, court costs and interest. She is represented by Teays Valley attorney Frank M. Armada.

The case is assigned to Judge Phillip M. Stowers.

Putnam Circuit Court case number 10-C-65