Here’s what you should know:
1. Lula Mae White, 72, allegedly began experiencing abdominal pain after undergoing a colonoscopy and scope procedure at Cumberland Gastroenterology in October 2016.
2. Ms. White called to report the pain Dec. 1, 2016, and Dec. 13, 2016, before she returned to Cumberland Gastroenterology Dec. 14, 2016. At that time, Jason Dixon, ARNP, allegedly gave her a stool softener and instructed her to return for an abdominal CT scan in five days if the pain didn’t improve.
3. Two days later, Ms. White was admitted to a local hospital and diagnosed with a perforated small bowel. She underwent surgery to repair the perforation and was transferred to a different hospital afterward.
4. On Jan. 12, 2017, Ms. White was removed from life support and died from multisystem organ failure.
5. The patient’s daughter, father and widower filed a wrongful death complaint against Cumberland Gastroenterology in June 2017.
6. The jury recommended Cumberland Gastroenterology pay $555,291.03 for medical expenses, $500,000 for pain and suffering, $500,000 in punitive damages and $100,000 for loss of consortium.
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