Quadruple Amputee | Personal InjuryThrough a series of miscommunications, mistakes, and misdiagnoses, Lisa Strong’s arms and legs were amputated.  She sued the doctors, and the jury ruled against Strong the Florida mother; but the judge overruled the jury ‘s verdict because of the overwhelming evidence.  Strong is now waiting for her second chance in court.

In 2003 she was at her job when she became so weak she could hardly walk.  She went home and when the pain intensified, she went to the ER.  She told the doctors that she believed she was suffering from a kidney stone because of her previous history.

The kidney stone was never treated and as a result Lisa suffered through a life-threatening infection and septic shock which resulted in the blood not being pumped to her limbs.  Her skin turned black and it kept gradually progressing up her arms and legs.  This condition was permanent, and a month after she had first gone to the hospital, the doctors amputated her legs below the knees and three days later her arms below the elbows.  She now has prosthetics that help her live her daily life.

Two years after the incident occurred, Strong sued the doctors for negligence.  The case went to trial and the jury ruled against Strong.  The judge reversed the jury’s verdict and concluded that the ruling had been "contrary to the law and the manifest weight of the evidence."  Judges rarely overturn rulings; in fact there is a .4 per cent chance in civil trials nationwide that this will occur. 

The case will go to trial for a second time.  The doctors involved in the case have and continue to place blame on one another for the obvious failures in Strong’s case.  These doctors failed, because kidney stones need prompt attention and treatment.  Most patients that die from kidney stones wait too long before going to the hospital.  Well, in this case, she made it to the hospital, but her condition was never treated.

Strong’s life has been difficult since she was released from the hospital.  She struggles doing daily tasks with her prosthetic limbs, is in constant pain, her marriage failed, and she owes $850,000 in medical bills.
 
Strong is one of thousands of patients that are misdiagnosed each year.  This misdiagnosis had life shattering impacts on her, but Strong has tried to pick up the pieces of her life and move on. Hopefully with her attoney’s help and the judge’s reversal, she can get the compensation to cover her medical bills and to live as normal a life as possible.