Medical malpractice attorneys at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm report that New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is preparing to file a lawsuits against the team’s medical doctor, Chris Ahman. Rodriguez claims that Dr. Ahman failed to diagnose a torn labrum in his left hip during the 2012 playoffs.
Since his doping scandal broke in January 2013, Rodriguez has been at odds with the media, his own team, the MLB, and the public in an eccentric drama that is now compounded with the malpractice suit. Rodriguez contends that Dr. Ahman conspired with the Yankees and the MLB to deliberately misdiagnose his hip injury in order to end his career. In an even more outlandish charge, Rodriguez alleges that Yankee president Randy Levine told the team’s surgeon, Dr. Bryan Kelly, that he never wanted to see him play again. Rodriguez confirms that he was told this by Dr. Kelly himself.
An MRI taken on October 11 of 2012 shows a superior labral tear with a small parabral cyst on Rodriguez’s left hip, according to a third-party description of the radiologist report. Such a tear is common in athletes, particularly in ice hockey, soccer, football, ballet and baseball. Treatment includes pain killers and physical therapy, though surgeons may also remove loose fragments from within the joint to help repair the tear.
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A few weeks after the season ended, the surgeon who performed Rodriguez’s right hip procedure in 2009 conducted a second MRI on him and recommended he undergo surgery. In a statement, the Yankees said that it relied on Dr. Ahmad and the New York Presbyterian Hospital to correctly diagnose and treat its athletes, and that it never received a complaint from Rodriguez during the 2012 season. It also stated that it never received a diagnosis regarding Rodriguez’s left hip.
Rodriguez recently stated that he had the opportunity to protect himself, and he has chosen to do so through legal means. He claims the Yankees illegally withheld the above-mentioned MRI from him. The MRI and clinical radiologist report were sent first to Dr. Marc Philippon, who performed Rodriguez’s right hip surgery, who performed an additional MRI on October 29, 2012, after the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs.
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Rodriguez interprets this timeline of events to indicate that Dr. Ahmad knew Rodriguez had a hip tear but failed to inform him of it. Rodriguez continued to play after the October 11 MRI and was reportedly embarrassed by his performance, which he is now attributing to the undiagnosed hip tear. He believes Ahmad’s misdiagnosis demonstrates a pattern with the team of trying to invent or find various ways for dismiss his $275 million contract.
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In related news, the lead physician for the San Diego Chargers was recently found liable for negligence and fraud. The case revolved around the doctor’s treatment of a female patient in 2006 who claims she was disfigured as a result. The verdict, which awarded the woman $5.2 million in damages, also found a medical device company liable for her injuries.
The suit was filed against Dr. David Chao for a knee surgery he performed in 2003, when the plaintiff was 15 years old. Chao prescribed her the Polar Care Unit for cooling therapy after her surgery, however, failed to disclose that the device could cause injuries and that Chao financially benefitted from prescribing the product. The device, manufactured by Breg Inc., caused the plaintiff to suffer frostbite which led to permanent injuries.
The jury found Chao 50% responsible and Berg 40% responsible for her injuries. The other 10% liability was placed on Oasis MSO, which is Chao’s company that received compensation from the Polar sale. Chao has been subject of a disproportionate amount of malpractice lawsuits since the late 1990s, many of which involving knee surgery and the prescription of the Polar Care Unit.
Medical malpractice attorneys at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm encourage anyone who was seriously injured during surgery or recovery to consider contacting a qualified malpractice lawyer. If your injury was the result of medical negligence, you may be entitled to significant compensation for any additional medical bills, lost wages, or permanent disfigurement.
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