Malpractice Suit Brought Against Doctors, Hospital Following Death of Patient

By Daniel Hawn

Published on August 22, 2005

The lawsuit was filed on account of the death of J. Michael Grady, 56, of Lakeland. Jack B Thigpen Jr. and Judith L. Randall, the two doctors from whom Grady received treatment, as well as Watson Clinic and Lakeland Regional Medical Center are named as defendants in the case.

On August 5, 2003, Grady, who was the chief executive officer of Juice Bowl, a citrus processor based in Lakeland, underwent elective hemorrhoid surgery at an outpatient facility that is associated with Watson Clinic and LRMC.

According to court documents, the day after the procedure Grady experienced pain and was unable to urinate. The lawsuit states Grady went to Watson Clinic where Thigpen inserted a catheter, however Grady continued to be in extreme pain for the duration of that day despite the use of painkillers.

The suit states that at 1:40 a.m. the next morning, Grady was taken to the LRMC emergency room, where, approximately 12 hours later, he died of a heart attack secondary to sepsis, an illness produced by toxins in the bloodstream.

The lawsuit states that the doctors involved in Grady's surgery failed to identify and treat the infection that killed him.