Pittsburgh Hospital Charged with Negligence in Hep C Case

A Kansas woman who contracted hepatitis C is suing a Pittsburg hospital for negligence in not disclosing that a former medical technician allegedly stole and used hospital narcotics in 2008.

The Associated Press reports that plaintiff Linda Ficken filed a hepatitis C lawsuit against the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center claiming that the medical center did not reveal to the police or any government agency that the technician, David Kwiatkowski, had been stealing and using narcotics.

The suit claims that Ficken contracted hepatitis C at Hays Medical Center in Kansas when she received a pacemaker in 2010. According to the Kansas health department, at least two other people are infected with a strain of virus closely related to the one that the technician carries, writes the AP.

Kwiatkowski was a temporary radiologic technologist who worked at hospitals nationwide, including the one in Kansas that treated Ficken. He is currently accused of stealing injection drugs from a New Hampshire hospital and giving patients hepatitis C through infected syringes. He has pled not guilty to those charges in a New Hampshire federal court.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by medical negligence or any other medical malpractice, contact Sokolove Law today for a free legal consultation and to find out if a medical malpractice lawyer may be able to help you.

Tags: