The Sting of Malpractice From a Bee
Posted on Aug 23, 2010 1:54pm PDT
William Hensley, 40, of New Jersey, Morris County, died on August 30, 2005 from an allergic reaction to a bee sting. A jury must now decide whether an alleged first bee sting, occurring a month before, was misdiagnosed as heatstroke.
Hensley was stung by a yellow jacked while mowing his lawn in Wantage and died from anaphylactic shock.
The malpractice trial is being held in Morris County, as reported by NewJersey.com.
Hensley, a mechanic and owner of Righteous Rides, leaves behind a wife and four young daughters.
One of Hensley's neighbors found him foaming at the mouth and collapsed on his yard's swing on July 22, 2005. Hensley was quickly taken to Saint Clares Hospital in Sussex Borough at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Dennis Donnelly, the attorney for Hensley's widow, Melissa, alleges that the neighbor saw a swarm of bees around the lawn mover and told the emergency room's staff, notably Dr. Allen Retirado, and a nurse, that Hensley must have been stung.
Attorneys for Dr. Retirado, and internist Harvey Beckman that also had examined Hensley, state that Hensley didn't tell them he was stung by a bee and they are not guilty of malpractice.
No signs of a sting, rash, swelling or a stinger was found. Retirado and Beckman focused on what might have occurred instead and checked for seizure, heart attack and stroke.
Hensley fully recovered that night and Beckman transferred him to Saint Clares in Denville. He was sent back home on July 23, 2005.
Donnelly stated that Dr Retirado "rushed to judgment" because up to 20 percent of anaphylaxis cases do not exhibit outward signs such as a sting. He also contends that Retirado ignored the neighbor's claims.
Retirado's diagnosis of "altered mental status and heatstroke" failed to even include the chance of a bee sting on Hensley's medical record. Beckman is also accountable for not looking into the possibility of an allergic reaction.
Donnelly told the eight jurors trying the case that, "We believe the buck stopped with the emergency room physician and the internist, and they dropped it. They missed the diagnosis that should have been made."
Contact a Medical Malpractice Lawyer today if you are in need of aggressive legal representation.