A Muscle Shoals widow filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging a Florida hospital and the surgeon and nurses who treated her husband were negligent after he died when his liver was removed instead of his spleen.
Beverly Burke Bryan also accused Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach, Florida of covering up the surgeon’s mistake by allegedly falsifying her husband’s death certificate and other records.
A hospital spokesman declined comment on the lawsuit because the facility does not discuss active litigation.
On Aug. 21, William Bryan, 70, underwent a laparoscopic splenectomy when Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky mistakenly removed his liver, resulting in the cutting of a major artery that caused sudden blood loss and William Bryan’s death, according to the lawsuit.
The error was not immediately noticed; Shaknovsky labeled the removed liver specimen as ‘spleen,’ the attorney claimed.
The mistake was discovered only after William Bryan’s death.
“It was not until [the] pathologist reviewed the organ removed from Mr. Bryan that someone finally demanded the truth come out,” the lawsuit claimed.
The lawsuit filed in civil court in Walton County, Florida accuses Shaknovsky, the hospital and nurses involved in Bryan’s treatment with several counts of medical negligence.
“This heartbreaking loss has devastated the family of William Bryan, and we are seeking justice for this senseless tragedy. Dr. Shaknovsky’s failure to meet the accepted standard of care and Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast’s involvement in the alleged cover up has caused irreparable harm, and no family should have to endure such grief due to medical negligence,” said Beverly Bryan’s attorney, Joe Zarzaur. “We are committed to holding these actors accountable for their actions.”
Burke is not suing for a specified amount of money but is seeking compensatory and other damages, including loss of earnings, loss of companionship and protection, mental pain and suffering as a result. She also requests compensation for funeral, medical and other expenses.
