Christina Mecannic, 40, and Michael Yocabet, 50, have been together for twenty one years and have an eighteen year old son. When Michael was in need of a kidney transplant, it was a no-brainer for Christina to be the donor. Unfortunately, medical malpractice attorneys have found that Michael’s doctors went forward with the procedure and transplanted the kidney despite blood test results that showed Christina had been infected with hepatitis C.
Hepatits C is an infectious disease caused by the Hepatitis C Virus, or HCV, that usually affects the liver. It tends to be asymptomatic at early onset and over time starts to affect liver function. Those with Hepatitis C generally face a higher risk of cirrhosis, which can lead to liver cancer, liver failure, or other fatal complications.
Based on this shocking and nearly unbelievable news, Michael fears that he may have contracted the fatal liver disease following the transplant that took place on April 6th at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center(UPMC).
Transplant Team Allegedly Misses a Crucial Blood Test Result
The couple has filed two malpractice lawsuits in which their medical malpractice attorneys will argue that there was negligence on the part of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh Physicians, four doctors, a nurse, and the whole kidney transplant center. Even more unnerving, the lawsuit alleges that the doctors offered Mecannic the option of keeping the hepatitis C diagnosis secret from her boyfriend after asking whether she was ever unfaithful to her partner and accused her of using cocaine. UPMC officials vigorously deny that there was a cover up and a spokesman stated “we sincerely regret the human error that caused this situation . . . once the error was discovered, UPMC disclosed the information to the patients involved”. The actual transplant procedure went well but now Yocabet faces the prospect that his treatment for the liver disease could in turn harm his new kidney due to the anti-rejection medication he is currently taking.
Medical Malpractice Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If you or a family member have recently been the victim of medical negligence, you should speak with a medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible. Please contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Initially, Susan Piro cancelled the trip she planned to take to America. However, the vacation became too hard to resist, and Susan departed, leaving her mother behind. Ironically, the point of the excursion was to visit places in America her mother had once lived. Susan’s selfish and clouded judgement have now prevented her from ever being able to share these memories with her mother. 
On average, research has shown that the process to upgrade to pressure-reduction mattresses would cost about 30 cents per patient. This minimal investment would soon pay major dividends in the healthcare world. Professionals project that the reduction in bed sores could save $32 dollars per patient in treatment and care costs. This equation leads to one conclusion, big money will be saved once healthcare costs decrease. Murray Krahn, a principal investigator with the study stated that “pressure ulcers are a huge but under-appreciated problem across multiple settings in our health-care system.” He continued by stating, “though they are not the full solution, pressure-reduction mattresses are an inexpensive and easy way to address the problem.”