08/20/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, USA // Sandra Quinlan // Sandra Quinlan

Pittsburgh, PA—A Turtle Creek woman who claims she was forced to undergo months of testing after doctors used another patient’s syringe on her, filed a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania hospital. The medical malpractice lawsuit alleges negligence and seeks unspecified damages, according to a Thursday, August 19, 2010 WPXI report.

Kimberlee Blocker apparently reported to Forbes Regional Hospital in Pittsburgh to undergo surgery. After the operation, however, doctors went on to explain that an error had occurred when Blocker was administered medication.

The doctors told Blocker another patient’s syringe somehow ended up on her tray and was inevitably used on her. “I was so angry. I didn’t ask for that… He was like, ‘We made a mistake. We have to test you for HIV because we used the wrong syringe on you.’ I was mortified,” said Blocker.

For the next six months, Blocker underwent a series of tests to determine whether she had contracted any blood-borne diseases in the mix-up. “We cried and cried every time she took her test and had two period to wait for results,” Kimberlee’s mother Deborah Blocker alleged.

While all HIV and hepatitis tests luckily came back negative, Kimberlee Blocker contended, “I could have easily died on that table. The medicine was not prescribed for me.” The Blockers have since filed a medical malpractice lawsuit, which Kimberlee hopes will prevent other patients from experiencing a similar mix-up.

Blocker maintained, “I could have easily been dead and want people to know these people need to be help accountable for their actions… An apology won’t suffice.”

While Forbes Regional Hospital would not comment on pending litigation, the case continues.

Legal News Reporter: Sandra Quinlan– Legal News for Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice Attorneys.

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