BECKLEY – A Raleigh County woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against two doctors.
Linda Pugh filed her complaint in Raleigh Circuit Court against Oluyemisi R. Sangodeyi and Rajendra P. Singh.
According to the complaint, Emmett S. Pugh III was admitted to Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital on May 1, 2018, for abdominal distention, nausea, vomiting and pain. The next day, a diagnostic workup showed a distal bowel obstruction. His white blood count was elevated the following day, and a requested enema had not been performed.
Sangodeyi said surgery was needed, but he said he was headed out of town. Singh agreed to take over Emmett Pugh’s care and ordered an enema. Following that, there was “a significant change” to Pugh’s condition.
He “became hypoxic, hypotensive and unresponsive.” He was intubated and given a CT to see if he could go to surgery. Singh performed exploratory laparotomy with colostomy formation. Pugh came back on a ventilator, according to the complaint.
On May 4, Pugh’s temperature increased and he had bloody output in the colostomy bag. On May 5, he was transferred to Duke University Health. He was septic, and his white blood cell count was greater than 34,000. He eventually had multi-organ failure and died May 10.
Linda Pugh says Emmett Pugh showed signs of sickness on and before May 5 that required immediate attention by his medical providers that, if done, would have precluded his death.
She says she and her family has and will suffer damages including sorrow, mental anguish, loss of solace, companionship, comfort, guidance, kindly offices and advice, loss of income, services, protection, care and assistance and expenses related to his death. She says Emmett Pugh also endured pain and suffering prior to his death.
She seeks full and fair compensatory and punitive damages, saying any statutory cap or limit violates her right to due process, equal protection and other rights. She also seeks pre- and post-judgment interest, court costs, attorney fees and other relief.
She is represented by L. Dante diTrapano and David H. Carriger of Calwell Luce diTrapano in Charleston as well as Dr. Richard D. Lindsay of Tabor Lindsay & Associates in Charleston. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Darl Poling.
Raleigh Circuit Court case number 20-C-61
