SURGICAL MALPRACTICE

In 2005 I was admitted to United Hospital for a minor surgery for a 24 to 48 hour stay. I woke up about a week later to find I had been admitted to ICU with a tracheostomy tube in my throat that I was breathing through. When I asked what happened I was told the trach tube was necessary to keep me alive. I wanted to know what caused it to be necessary. I received all kinds of answers, but none answered what I was asking. After discharge I found I could no longer work in my field as a nurse because of conflict between my need for the trach tube and hospital infection control practices. I still needed answers, and I still needed to work, so I tried to find an attorney who could get me the answers I needed, and to find how a minor procedure could have such major consequences. I spoke to 4 attorneys who could not take the case for some reason or other, 2 of these attorneys advertise on television 24 hours a day, each told me I did not have a case. Another wanted 5 thousand dollars just to look into the matter, which I could not afford since I had been out of work and had been living off my savings. The 5th could not take the case because one of his partners had defended the surgeon, a conflict of interest, a 6th attorney could not take the case because one of his in-laws was the surgeon’s patient. But he recommended I call Bill Tilton and I said I would, but did not. By now I felt I was getting the runaround, and they were all in this together, Then one day the attorney called me to find out why I had not gone to see Mr. Tilton. I told him I was trying to move beyond the incident and I realized I was getting pushed from one place to another. He asked me to please call Mr. Tilton, so I did. I met Bill Tilton later that week. I found him to be sincere and easy to talk to, and even if he found he could not help me I was happy to know him. He went to work right away and found that the statute of limitations was about to run out on my case, so he quickly filed the papers necessary, and then decided to look into the case. Bill kept me totally informed about the case and also said I could call him at any time if I had questions. Also Bill knew what questions to ask. He determined my surgeon had been negligent and set about to prove it. Later I found out he knew more about the surgical procedure than I who had been a nurse for 25 years. It took a while and at times I was a wreck, but Bill made sure I was kept informed and if he was out I could depend on Karen, Nicole, Kelly, George or Michael to hold my hand. I had found an entire family at Tilton and Dunn PLLP. It took lots of legal back and forth, but eventually my case settled out of court, and I am very pleased with everything. Finally I could put this behind me and was able to make up for the material things I had lost; and I was able to help my grandchildren with their educations. Bill and his gang will always be a part of my life, to love them forever.

Sincerely