Florence Fielder falls off operating table, sues Connecticut hospital

GlobalPost

An 81-year-old woman is suing a Connecticut hospital over injuries she suffered after falling off an operating table post-surgery.

Attorneys for Florence Fiedler of New Canaan filed the lawsuit against Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven Superior Court, The Associated Press reported.

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According to the litigation, Fiedler fell off the operating table following pacemaker implant surgery in 2010. She suffered fractures of the hip and collarbone, a traumatic head injury that resulted in bleeding under her skull and other injuries, according to the AP.

"Despite months of therapy, Mrs. Fiedler now must face daily pain for the rest of her life. She had to relearn how to walk and was transformed from an independent spry energetic woman enjoying her golden years to someone dependent on others who is now a shut-in," James Horwitz, who represents Fiedler, told the Connecticut Post.

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The lawsuit alleges that Fiedler's doctor, Joseph Akar, and hospital officials left her unattended after the operation and did not realize she was still recovering from the medications she received during the surgery, putting her at higher risk for a fall, according to the Post.

The litigation, which also names the university, seeks more than $15,000 in damages.

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