The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

Juan Rivera, a U.S. Army veteran, has recently filed a notice of his intent to sue the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) for medical malpractice. He claims he contracted HIV as a result of a colonoscopy performed at a VA hospital in Miami.

Rivera is charging the Miami VA facility with failing to properly clean and maintain its medical equipment and failing to employ appropriate policies and protocols which would have ensured that Rivera's colonoscopy was performed safely.

VA has admitted that thousands of procedures were performed with contaminated endoscopic medical equipment. Inspectors discovered that a tube that should have been cleaned after every colonoscopy procedure was only cleaned at the end of each day.

While Rivera is the first victim to declare his intent to file a medical malpractice suit against VA, many more suits are likely to follow. VA revealed that as many as 10,000 patients treated at hospitals in Miami, Tennessee, and Georgia, may have been exposed to blood borne diseases since 2003.

At the Miami VA hospital, five veterans have currently tested positive for HIV, three for hepatitis B, and eight for hepatitis C. At the Tennessee hospital, one veteran has tested positive for HIV, seven for hepatitis B, and 25 for hepatitis C. At the Georgia hospital, two veterans have tested positive for HIV, two for hepatitis B, and four for hepatitis C.

Earlier this year, the VA conducted a nationwide investigation of its medical facilities. The results of the investigation indicated that less than half of the facilities inspected employed proper training or guidelines, resulting in many veterans receiving substandard and unsafe care.

If you have suffered a serious illness or injury from subpar medical treatment at a VA facility, the experienced medical malpractice lawyers at The Cochran Firm can help you receive the compensation you deserve. Please contact our personal injury offices today to schedule your free initial consultation. The Cochran firm serves clients nationwide.

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