Baby burns throat in battery accident

New York residents may have heard about a Florida toddler who suffered severe burns after swallowing a small remote control battery. Although her mother was at home at the time of the accident, she was unable to prevent the battery from going down her daughter's throat before calling 911. The child's parents filed a lawsuit against Wolfson Children's Hospital claiming that it didn't remove the battery soon enough.

It was removed about five hours after the child arrived at the hospital, but poison control centers say that a lithium battery should be removed within two hours. The family also sued a doctor who they believe downplayed the potential dangers that the child faced. He reportedly told the child's parents that there was no difference between swallowing a battery and swallowing a coin. The 19-month-old girl has undergone 20 surgeries since the March 2016 accident and required surgery on the night of the incident.

An attorney for the parents claims that they have incurred up to $400,000 in medical bills. The child's mother was forced to take leave from work and has only recently returned on a part-time basis. It is thought that the child may require treatment until she is a teenager for esophagus burns suffered in the accident.

Patients who have been harmed by substandard hospital care may wish to talk with an attorney to see what recourse they may have. The patient may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages and lost future earnings if negligence by the facility or one of its health care practitioners can be demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence.