The Price of Malpractice
Supreme Court rules against doctor for surgical materials left in patient.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
In the Stevens county case of Fred J. Wynne and wife against Dr. L. B. Harvey and Dr. I. S. Clark for alleged malpractice, the supreme court says Clark is not responsible, but Harvey must pay the $5000 judgment. The court finds that the testimony showing that a piece of silk thread was found in the wound after an operation, and that later when the woman was opened up again a small sponge was found imbedded in the wound entitles the plaintiffs to recover damages.
“The court finds that the testimony showing that a piece of silk thread was found in the wound... and a small sponge was found imbedded... entitles the plaintiffs to recover damages.”
Medical malpractice litigation has evolved significantly since 1917, but the core issue—accountability for surgical negligence—remains a cornerstone of patient rights and legal debates today.
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