How much compensation for a tragic miscarriage? A look at history will tell

April 2000 An operated kidney

Doctors of the urology clinic of the University Hospital in Hradec Králové accidentally operated on a healthy kidney of one of their patients. In 2002, the hospital settled with the injured patient at the district court on compensation of 405,000 crowns. The injured party demanded a larger amount and in 2003 the court awarded him another 459,000 crowns. Two doctors were given suspended sentences for misconduct.

2003 Allergy to contrast material

At the Sokolov hospital, during the angiography, the doctors injected the patient with a contrast agent, to which she was apparently allergic. She fell into a coma and remained in a lifeless state. In April 2008, the Regional Court of Appeal in Pilsen awarded the woman 18 million crowns in compensation.

April 2006 Burn on the mat

A burned little girl died at the Brno University Hospital, having suffered extensive burns from the electric mat on which she lay during an oncological operation. In March 2011, the Supreme Court decided definitively that the nurse from the hospital would not be punished. The hospital had to pay the parents about 1.5 million crowns.

October 2007 Swapping newborns

Prima TV reported that criminal investigators from Třebíč are investigating the confusion of newborns in a local hospital. The case happened on December 9, 2006, the parents’ suspicions of confusion were confirmed by DNA samples. Two newborn girls thus grew up for several months with false parents, who had already managed to form a strong emotional bond with them. The hospital staff was punished and the hospital offered each of the families 300,000 crowns in compensation. However, the parents did not agree to this, and in the end the court awarded them compensation in the total amount of 3.2 million crowns.

September 2008 Choking on a roll

A ninety-three-year-old man died in the Trutnov Regional Hospital after choking on a roll. In September 2015, the regional court decided that the hospital should pay compensation of 650,000 crowns to the survivors. The dead man’s wife and his five children demanded a total of 1.44 million crowns from the hospital.

2009 Paralysis, blindness and deafness after childbirth

The birth at Prague’s Královská Vinohrady University Hospital ended with paralysis and blindness and deafness of the born boy, who then required round-the-clock care. In June 2014, the district court for Prague 10 awarded compensation to the victim’s family, the hospital appealed against the verdict. Both parties finally reached an out-of-court settlement in the summer of 2014, agreeing to compensation of 20 million crowns, i.e. 10 million less than the family originally demanded. The boy died in October 2014.

November 2009 Mistaken with potassium chloride

A seventeen-year-old girl died in the Bulovka hospital in Prague. An investigation revealed that a nurse had accidentally mixed a fatal dose of potassium chloride into her IV. In September 2011, the Appeals Chamber upheld the first-instance verdict of the District Court for Prague 8 and sent the nurse to prison with supervision for three terms. The hospital paid 1.9 million crowns to the survivors.

2010 Damaged brain after tonsil surgery

A three-year-old boy ended up with brain damage after undergoing tonsil surgery at the Brno University Hospital. In June 2016, the Brno City Court decided that the hospital must pay 10.5 million crowns as compensation to the parents. Both the parents and the hospital filed an appeal. In June 2017, the two sides agreed to an out-of-court settlement, details of which were not announced.

October 2011 After ear surgery in a coma

The artist and former mayor of Ústí nad Orlicí fell into a coma after an ear operation at Orlickoustecké hospital, became paralyzed, had speech problems and was confined to a wheelchair. In March 2019, the Court of Appeal in Pardubice decided that the regional company Nemocnice Pardubice Region will pay approximately nine million crowns for the patient’s paralysis.

2016 He fell off a ladder, they didn’t investigate him properly

A 70-year-old man fell from a ladder, an ambulance took him to the Chrudim Hospital, its staff always sent him home without the necessary examinations. For the third time, the man ended up in the Pardubice hospital, but his condition was too serious and he died as a result of his injuries. The relatives wanted nine million crowns, in the end they agreed with the hospital on four.

May 2017 Coma after tonsil surgery

At the time, the eight-year-old boy underwent tonsil surgery at the Pardubice Hospital. Four days later, he began to bleed profusely from the surgical wound in the inpatient section of the children’s ward. The nurses and the doctor let him and his mother go to the ENT clinic and tried to call for professional help, which took many minutes. Due to the bleeding, the child apparently inhaled blood and suffocated, causing severe brain damage. He has been in a so-called waking coma ever since. In April 2022, the Pardubice court imposed suspended sentences on a doctor and a nurse for serious bodily harm due to negligence, and acquitted another nurse. The verdict against the doctor was also confirmed by the Supreme Court, the doctor filed a constitutional complaint this year.

March 25, 2024 Confusion of pregnant and abortion

At the Bulovka University Hospital in Prague, a healthy pregnant woman who came for a routine check-up miscarried due to a mix-up of patients. According to CNN Prima News, both women were foreigners who live permanently in the Czech Republic. The hospital has apologized to the family and is ready to provide compensation to the patient, the culprits have already been suspended.