Ernest Dishman
Lubbock, Texas
Ernest Dishman was an oil field supervisor who worked in the oil patch for over 40 years. Aside from a back injury he sustained while on the job, Ernest was in good health and, according to his family, was far more active than most 78 year old men. In fact, the weekend before his back surgery Ernest was fly-fishing with his family in Colorado.
Just days later, Ernest Dishman died after a series of preventable medical errors that the county medical examiner described as the worst case of medical negligence he had seen in over 20 years. Sadly, Texas law will prevent Ernest’s family from holding those responsible for his death accountable.
Ernest’s back injury had worsened over time, and he agreed to have surgery to fuse a few discs in his back.
The day after his back surgery in October 2005, Mr. Dishman began to have trouble with his bladder. His daughter Debra requested that he be kept over night for observation, but the hospital refused.
Debra took him home and two days later, Mr. Dishman developed a very high fever, was in severe pain and was unable to urinate. Debra called an ambulance to take her father back to the hospital.
While in the hospital, Mr. Dishman tried to get out of bed and fell. When Debra and her brother arrived at the hospital to visit Ernest, hospital personnel would not let them see their father and claimed that nothing was wrong.
The following day, Ernest was taken out of bed and was left sitting alone where he lost consciousness. When his primary care physician came to check on his condition, he was shocked at the sudden deterioration. Ernest never regained consciousness and was declared brain dead the next day.
Ernest’s family requested an autopsy to uncover the reason for his death. The autopsy revealed that after the fall, Ernest suffered a brain hemorrhage that was exacerbated when he was given a blood thinner.
The autopsy also showed that Ernest suffered several other injuries while in the hospital: a tube in his throat had been inserted incorrectly, causing acid to eat away at his esophagus; the feeding tube in his stomach was inserted incorrectly, causing blood clots; and his lungs had filled with fluid.
The county medical examiner and a private examiner both vehemently agreed that Ernest Dishman died as a result of medical malpractice.
Debra and her brother have been unable to seek justice for their father’s needless death. Ernest Dishman was an influential member of his community and was beloved by his family. Proposition 12 has robbed them of their right to gain access to our courts. As a result, those who caused Ernest Dishman’s needless death have been able to escape responsibility.
