Lawsuit Alleges Physician Gave Improper Instructions

By Brittany Golledge

Published on January 13, 2006

The plaintiff, William E. Forkner, filed suit in a Hamilton County court after a medical review panel rendered a unanimous decision in October which supported the conclusion that the defendant, Dr. Mahmoud Hassuneh, failed to meet the proper standard of care in the treatment of 87-year-old Mary Alice Forkner.

Forkner had been taken to the Tipton County Memorial Hospital emergency room in January of 2001 after suffering a head injury related to a fall. She was treated by Dr. Mahmoud Hassuneh, an emergency room physician who sutured her laceration and discharged her from the hospital the same day. Forkner, who lived alone, was found dead in her apartment the next day.

The lawsuit filed by the plaintiff, Forkner's son, alleges that Hassuneh was negligent in failing to provide proper instructions for Forkner's care after she left the hospital, including alerting her of the risk of internal bleeding and the need for overnight monitoring. According to the plaintiff's attorney, Forkner should have been advised to remain at the hospital or be monitored by a friend for the next 24 hours.

Hassuneh's attorney has maintained that Forkner received oral instructions from both Dr. Hassuneh and a hospital nurse concerning overnight care.

Hassuneh is accused of violating hospital protocol by failing to provide written instructions for after care.

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