United States to Pay $750,000 To Settle Claim
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The United States has agreed to pay $750,000 as a settlement for a medical malpractice suit filed by the family of a woman from Florida who died after undergoing eight surgical procedures in a little over a month at Jacksonville Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida in 2005.
Justice Department attorneys and relatives of Betty Jean Plato informed their court-appointed mediator on Wednesday, January 16 of their agreement to settle the case.
In 2005, 76-year-old Plato died of a blood infection after going to the hospital emergency room at Jacksonville Naval Air Station with pains in her abdomen. Over a period of 35 days, she underwent eight surgical procedures.
The malpractice lawsuit Plato's family filed accused the Navy of failure to properly evaluate or diagnose her condition, provide reasonable care, or transfer her in a timely manner to a facility that was properly equipped to manager her condition.
According to Sean Cronin, the attorney for the family of Plato, they are pleased with the settlement.
After the settlement of Plato's case, there are still five pending lawsuits against the hospital in Jacksonville's U.S. District Court. In recent years, the facility has been repeatedly sued for allegedly providing substandard care.
Comment from Virginia medical malpractice attorney Ben Glass. This case was filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA).