Plateau Medical Center, Raleigh General sued over man's death

FAYETTEVILLE - A man's estate is suing the hospital for medical malpractice after he died on the way to the operating room.

Debra Pemberton, representative of the Estate of William Clayton Craft, filed a lawsuit Nov. 18 in Fayette County Circuit Court against Oak Hill Hospital Corporation, doing business as Plateau Medical Center, Raleigh General Hospital LLC, Rodney Zane Jarrell D.O., Herbert Oye D.O. and West Virginia Vascular Institute PLLC, citing negligence and medical malpractice.

According to the complaint, on Nov. 25, 2011, Craft went to Plateau Medical Center requesting emergency treatment. The complaint alleges he was not timely examined and was never treated at Plateau on that day.

It states he was not given an appropriate Medical Screening Exam although he went to the medical center with an emergent medical condition, including excruciating severe abdominal pain he had experienced for a week, was audibly moaning and was unable to sit or rest for any period of time in the waiting area as result of the pain.

According to the complaint, Craft then went to RGH to request emergency treatment for the same condition. While at RGH, Craft was examined, received numerous tests and had a CT scan taken.

He was diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm, pneumonia and UTN urgency, the complaint says. Although his blood pressure and heart rate were rising, the complaint alleges that Dr. Oye examined Craft and decided that surgery could be put off until the next morning.

The complaint states throughout the evening of Nov. 25 the aneurysm continued to tear apart. According to the complaint, doctors failed to properly treat and operate in a timely manner, which caused Craft to die on the way to the operating room to repair his abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Craft's estate is seeking an undisclosed amount of damages, including court costs and attorney's fees. The estate is being represented in the case by attorney J.C. Powell of Powell & Majestro PLLC.

Fayette County Circuit Court Civil Action No. 13-C-297