A serious medical negligence case made headlines recently, centred on former anaesthetist and drug addict James Latham Peters.
Mr Peters, aged 63, pleaded guilty to 55 counts of medical negligence in Victoria’s Supreme Court in early November.
The doctor allegedly infected 55 women with hepatitis C between 2008 and 2009, when he was working at an abortion clinic in east Melbourne.
Severely addicted to the drug fentanyl, Mr Peters would inject himself before then using the same needle on his patient. He did this to try and hide his addiction.
It is alleged that he has had the hepatitis C virus since 1996.
According to media reports, some of his victims were present in court when he pleaded guilty.
Justice Paul Coghlan told media that the privacy of the victims was of paramount importance.
“The victims in this case are a group of the most highly innocent people who you could ever come across,” Justice Coghlan asserted, as reported by Sky News.
This case serves as a sombre reminder that from time to time, some medical practitioners are negligent and act in breach of the law.
When this type of situation arises, it is important for victims to be aware that there is support available to them.
There are lawyers in Sydney who specialise in medical negligence compensation. If you are ever a victim of negligence, or suspect that you might be, then it is highly recommended that you make time to speak to a lawyer.
These lawyers operate on a ‘no win no fee‘ basis, meaning that they will not charge you unless your claim is successful.
If you do win, compensation could cover the following:
· Loss of wages, superannuation and other ‘economic loss’
· The cost of care – past and future – that you have required since you became injured
· Non-economic loss including trauma, pain, suffering and so forth
Some people may choose to pursue compensation on their own, but it is worth speaking to a lawyer because medical negligence is a very complex area of law.
GMP lawyers have a 98 per cent success rate therefore they are more than qualified to handle your case in the best and most professional manner.
They are also results focussed and put their clients first in all that they do.
In addition, they are able to refer you to other experts who may be able to help you through this difficult time.
