Articles - Medical Malpractice
Precedent-setting doctor loses malpractice case ::
(11 18, 2005)
THE WICHITA EAGLE
Saturday, December 14, 1996
Section: LOCAL & STATE
Edition: main
Page: 18A
Memo: AREA BRIEFS - WICHITA
A Sedgwick County jury deliberated about four hours Friday before awarding $100,000 to William Wilson, 19, in his malpractice case against pediatric surgeon Philip Knight of Wichita.
Knight had won a 1991 ruling against a Wichita malpractice attorney, throwing out a frivolous lawsuit and setting legal precedent that requires lawyers to carefully scrutinize their medical experts in malpractice
suits.
Eldon Boisseau, Knight's attorney in the Wilson case, did not return calls for comment Friday.
Witnesses questioned on the stand last week by Wilson's attorney, Gerard Scott, said Knight did not recognize signs of appendicitis when Wilson came to see him in 1990 at Via Christi-St. Joseph hospital. The then 14-year-old returned eight days later with a ruptured appendix.
Knight removed the appendix but didn't give the standard five days of antibiotics afterward, said Brad Prochaska, co-counsel.
"The patient developed a bad wound infection and a bad infection inside his abdomen, and Dr. Knight didn't figure this out, either," Prochaska said. "Another doctor came along and immediately realized there was a bad infection here."
Because of Knight's negligence, Wilson developed a hole between his bladder and colon and had to wear a colostomy for a year before it healed, Prochaska said.
Compiled from Eagle staff reports and news services.
All content © 1996 THE WICHITA EAGLE and may not be republished without permission.
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