A Cotter man and his wife who filed a federal lawsuit against the United States of America and the Veterans Administration for medical malpractice claims was recently awarded just over $3 million after he was left brain-damaged after a routine spinal procedure.According to court documents, in October 2018, 66-year-old Craig Dobbs, a 32 year combat veteran who served seven tours in the U.S. Marine Corps, underwent a lumbar decompression and fusion at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in Little Rock. During the four-and-a-half hour procedure Dobbs suffered a dural tear, a tear in the covering that encases the brain and spinal cord and contains cerebrospinal fluid. It was not properly repaired and resulted in Dobbs sustaining severe brain damage.
Records showed following a surgery on Oct. 9, 2018, Dobbs began to experience an inability to talk by Oct. 20. He was transferred to Houston Methodist Hospital by helicopter where he was in a coma and had to be put on a ventilator. After spending a month at Houston Methodist Hospital Dobbs was moved to inpatient rehabilitation. His discharge notes indicated he had “gradually improved” but required a period of 24-hour rehabilitation nursing, which included several hours each week of physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology and neuropsychology.
The original claim stated “As a result of government negligence, Mr. Dobbs will likely suffer from neurological impairment and require assistance with activities of daily living for the remainder of his life.”
U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky awarded Dobbs and his wife $3,122,538.09 in total damages and compensation.
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