The Nashville veteran's hospital has been sued by the parents of a soldier who claim the staff's negligence led to his death. The soldier, a 26-year-old U.S. Army vet who served three tours in the Middle East, died in October of 2014.
The soldier's death came nine months following his honorable discharge from the Army. The vet served in the Army for eight years as a mechanic in Iraq and an explosive ordinance disposal specialist in Afghanistan for two tours.
The lawsuit filed by the soldier's parents was done this month in federal court in Nashville. The vet received two commendation medals during his eight years in the Army.
According to the lawsuit, the veteran failed to receive the proper care for ulcerative colitis while at the Nashville VA Medical Center. In the lawsuit, the veteran's mother said that they always knew a possible knock at the door would come while their son was overseas, but they never thought it would come after he returned home safely.
The Nashville VA Medical Center is part of the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, which has been ranked as one of the worst in the country for quality of care. The rankings come from Veteran's Affairs.
The vet was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease that can have life-threatening complications, in January of 2014 at Fort Campbell.
The vet was prescribed an anti-inflammatory drug that also caused a drop in his white blood cell count. The vet also had another issue affecting his immune system, which doctors knew about and recommended regular monitoring of his blood cells. The lawsuit claims the regular monitoring never happened.
The vet died on October 28, 2014 after going to the emergency room at the Nashville VA hospital due to incredibly low blood level counts.
The lawsuit states that the drug manufacturer recommends blood testing every two weeks, but there was never any follow up. The lawsuit is seeking damages of $6.1 million from the U.S. government.
Thousands of veterans go without treatment each day at VA hospitals across the country and in Nashville. An experienced wrongful death attorney can educate you on the rights you have after losing a loved one.
Source: The Tennessean, "Negligence at Nashville VA hospital led to death of 26-year-old, according to lawsuit," Stacey Barchenger, Dec. 16, 2016