A doctor in northern New Jersey, found guilty of medical malpractice, lying, and altering records, has been reinstated to perform surgery at the Hoboken University Medical Center (HUMC).
An Irreversible Mistake Takes An Irreplaceable Life
On August 29, 2000, Richard Flagg was admitted to Meadowlands Hospital to have portions of his left lung removed due to a cancerous tumor. His surgeon was Dr. Santusht Perera. When Richard awoke, Dr. Perera informed him that during surgery he found an even larger tumor on his right lung, and that by removing portions of that lung instead, he had saved his life.
Several months later, Flagg picked up his medical records from the hospital. He began reading the pathology report. The report showed that there was no evidence of any tumor in the right lung. And due to the large portions of the lung that were removed, it had become impossible to remove any of the left lung. Flagg’s brother Kenneth recalls the day that Richard called to tell him what he found, “Kenny, they just killed me.”
Richard Flagg, Vietnam War vet, 8 year Air Force pilot, and hardworking Captain in the Merchant Marines, died on September 8, 2003 at age 63.
Dr. Perera; Punished?
The State Board of Medical Examiners fined Perera $80,000 and sentenced him to a 6 month suspension of his medical license. At the end of his suspension he was put on probabtion, but permitted to practice medicine.
Flagg’s long-time girl, Edith Bickoff, was not thrilled about the news that Perera would be operating again.
“It doesn’t surprise me that the butcher is back. They (Perera and the hospital) got a little, little, little slap on the wrist. And Richie suffered, that last year he suffered. He was in the hospital more than he was out, and then he drowned in his own blood.”
Medical Malpractice Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia
Richard Flagg was yet another victim of medical malpractice. But Dr. Perera’s actions in covering up his mistake, instead of trying all that he could to save the life of his patient, could be considered a greater tragedy. We trust our doctors with our lives in hopes that they will do all they can to make us well. But when they do all they can to save their careers instead, where does that leave us?
If you or a loved one have suffered at the hands of a negligent medical provider, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. Let the medical malpractice lawyers at the Mininno Law Office fight for your right to full and fair compensation.