NEW HAVEN–A man is speaking out after a serious medical error led him to lose the use of his shoulder.
Gregory Leigh, 58, of Wallingford, went to the doctor’s office in December of 2008 because his lymph node on his neck was swollen. His doctor, Dr. Daniel Schwartz, recommended emergency surgery.
It turns out, Leigh never needed surgery, but during the operation Dr. Schwartz damaged a spinal nerve, causing permanent damage.
It was later determined that Leigh had cat scratch disease, a mild bacterial infection, that could have been treated with a round of antibiotics.
Leigh’s lawyer, Sean McElligott, told Fox CT that it’s a concern any patient going to the doctor should have.
“It’s a great act of trust a patient places in you. They’re unconscious. They’re depending on you to be careful and skillful. And, in this case, the surgeon rushed through the surgery. It took 17 minutes and he gave my client an injury that he’ll have for the rest of his life,” McElligott said.
On Wednesday, Leigh was awarded $4.2 million in the lawsuit he filed against Dr. Schwartz and Mid-State Medical Group in Meriden.
Schwartz continues to practice medicine, and his practice is now at St. Francis Hospital.
