Woman accuses St. Elizabeth's, three doctors of negligence
11/18/2010 8:26 AM By Andy Heddiger
A woman is seeking damages against St. Elizabeth's Hospital and three doctor who treated her there.
Pauline M. Pestka filed a lawsuit Nov. 8 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against the hospital and the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, Dr. Crystal M. Carmichael, Dr. Ardian Barcus and Dr. Anwar Khan.
Pestka was a patient at St. Elizabeth's on Dec. 6, 2008, when she was discharged and transferred to the hospital's inpatient rehabilitation center. Pestka says the hospital failed to transfer discharge instructions of Dr. James Rushford regarding Pestka undergoing no active abduction exercises for six weeks.
Pestka claims as a result of not following that instruction, she suffered an additional fracture of her right and lower extremities.
Pestka further claims that Drs. Carmichael, Barcus and Khan were negligent in not communicating or writing an order to the inpatient rehabilitation center regarding Dr. Rushford's discharge instruction.
She says they failed to tell her about the instruction or tell physical therapy to contact Dr. Rushford's office about her treatment.
Pestka says she suffered unnecessary pain and suffering, emotional distress and a permanent disabling injury that will require nursing home care. She claims significant medical costs.
In her four-count complaint, Pestka seeks more than $50,000 plus costs on all counts.
Lawrence J. Hess of the Rex Carr Law Firm will be representing her.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 10-L-584.
