When a company is negligent, you expect that it will take responsibility. That’s not always the case, though. Sometimes, the companies try to push off the blame onto the victims themselves.

That’s what is happening in this case involving Geisinger Kistler Clinic. The clinic was found to have been negligent for failing to diagnose an infected cyst close to the patient’s tailbone. Since failing to diagnose the condition, the patient has had to have over six surgeries to eliminate the abscess and to restructure the affected portion of the body.

Since the cyst was not diagnosed early on, the patient now has a permanent disfigurement. His attorney claims that he will continue to struggle to use the bathroom for the remainder of his life. Geisinger was ordered to pay $10 million to the patient, an award among the highest in the state.

In the verdict, it’s stated that the award is based on the patient’s disfigurement, loss of the ability to enjoy life, past and future suffering and embarrassment. The company has said it will appeal the verdict, because it claims that the patient had turned down a rectal exam that may have helped doctors diagnose the condition. The patient was under 18 at the time of the initial medical visit in 2013, and his mother corroborates his side of the story.

Additionally, his attorneys reported that the then-teen’s mother had called the clinic about her son’s continued pain months later, and the clinic referred him to a rectal surgeon. The referral never was ordered, so the boy continued to suffer.

If you’re injured in a situation like this, you too can seek assistance in obtaining compensation. The court is there to make decisions on cases like these and to make sure negligent medical providers pay.

Source: Times-Leader, “Geisinger to appeal $10M patient award,” Joe Dolinsky, May 23, 2017