True Stories of Texans Devastated by Medical Negligence

In 2003, the Texas Legislature erected a virtually insurmountable barrier to the courthouse for families devastated by medical negligence. The following stories are true tales of how the malpractice epidemic has injured these average Texans twice: first when they or their loved one was harmed and again when the radical legal changes enacted at the behest of insurance industry lobbyists stacked the deck in favor of those who harmed her.

	Patricia Whitman San Antonio, Texas Patricia Whitman is a cosmetologist who lives in San Antonio with her two daughters and grandson. She suffered a heart attack, and due to a delay in care at the ER, she has severe and permanent damage to her heart. Read her story »
	Brenda Goode Killeen, Texas Brenda Goode lives in Killeen, Texas with her daughter and two granddaughters.  She works as a housekeeper at a local clinic.  She lost her son Brian due to an entirely preventable medical error.  His doctors later admitted that his death could have been prevented. Read her story »
	Cynthia Sledge Leander, Texas Cynthia Sledge is a stay-at-home mom and piano instructor in Leander who takes a great deal of pride in caring for her four children. While she was in labor with her fourth child, her elevated blood pressure was not properly treated and she suffered a stroke as a result. Read her story »
	Ernest Dishman Lubbock, Texas Ernest Dishman was an oil field supervisor who worked in the oil patch for over 40 years. He was in good health and was far more active than most men his age. He died after a series of preventable medical errors that the county medical examiner described as the worst case of negligence he’d seen in over 20 years. Read his story »
	Sylvia Fuller Tyler, Texas Sylvia Fuller lived in Tyler, Texas. Her three children, David, Karen and Clay are grown, and Sylvia was happiest with all of her children around her. She was dearly loved by her family and her friends. She died fourteen hours after being misdiagnosed and discharged in an emergency room. Read her story »
	Millie Koch Simms, Texas Millie Koch is a retired nursing home administrator who has worked in the nursing home industry for more than 20 years in both Texas and Florida. She lost both of her parents due to nursing home neglect. Her mother died due to an overdose of potassium and her father died because he was given an antibiotic to which he had a recorded allergy. Read her story »
	Angie Meza Pflugerville, Texas Angie Meza is a loving mother to her two daughters. She took her four year old daughter Monica to the pediatrician for the flu. Monica died after a series of devastating, preventable medical errors. Read her story »