Hennepin County (Minn) District Court—A 16-year-old girl presented to a clinic requesting oral contraceptives (OCs). Three months later, she suffered a stroke, resulting in a limp in her gait, cognitive limitations, and diminished use of her right arm.
In suing, the patient argued that the OCs never should have been prescribed because of a maternal family history of blood clotting disorders.
The defendants contended that, according to the Physician’s Drug Reference, the particular OCs prescribed were not absolutely contraindicated. Further, the clinic alleged there were no records that proved the teen received the OCs from their institution. The physicians claimed the her smoking, alleged drug use, and a prior abortion may have caused the stroke.
A $425,000 settlement was reached.
The cases presented here were compiled by Lewis L. Laska, editor of Medical Malpractice Verdicts, Settlements & Experts. While there are instances when the available information is incomplete, these cases represent the types of clinical situations that typically result in litigation.