Hardesty, Tyde, Green & Ashton, P.A. Sues Mayo Clinic for Hepatitis C Infection

The Jacksonville, Florida personal injury law firm Hardesty, Tyde, Green & Ashton, P.A. has filed legal notice that it intends to sue Mayo Clinic for the Hepatitis C infection and death of a patient.

Dennis Wolford was 59 years old when he went to the Mayo Clinic in July 2006 for a liver transplant. Prior to the transplant, he underwent mandatory blood testing and it was determined he did not have Hepatitis C. During his hospitalization, Mayo records reflect that Mr. Wolford was supposed to receive the pain killing drug, Fentanyl.

A few months after his liver transplant, Mr. Wolford underwent additional blood testing and was found to have developed Hepatitis C. His first liver transplant failed as a result of damage to the new liver caused by the Hepatitis C virus. He underwent a second liver transplant in February 2008 but that liver also failed as a result of damage caused by the Hepatitis C virus. Mr. Wolford died on September 29, 2008 as a result of complications associated with his liver failure.

There was no explanation at the time for how Mr. Wolford might have contracted Hepatitis C at the Mayo Clinic. In August 2010, the Mayo Clinic began notifying patients for the first time that thousands of them may have been exposed to Hepatitis C by a Mayo Clinic radiology technologist, Steven Beumel. This technologist, who worked at Mayo from 2004 to 2010, admitted injecting himself with the pain killer, Fentanyl, which had been intended for patients. He then apparently refilled the syringe that had contained the pain killer with saline solution and injected that into patients. This procedure exposed many patients to small quantities of Mr. Beumel's blood which was infected with the Hepatitis C virus.

Attorney Frank A. Ashton of Hardesty, Tyde, Green & Ashton said "It seems clear that the most likely source of Mr. Wolford's Hepatitis C infection was the Mayo radiology technologist. We cannot understand how a radiology technologist could have been allowed access to such powerful narcotic pain medications or how he could have been permitted to directly inject patients with these medications. It is difficult to believe that this process could go on for many years without detection."

Attorney Ashton also noted "We cannot say at this time if Mr. Wolford had the same specific type of Hepatitis C as the Mayo radiology technologist because Mayo has refused to disclose that information to us. It is unfortunate that we have to file this lawsuit to get information which Mayo should be making readily available to all patients potentially infected by Mayo's own employee."

If you or a family member has become sick with Hepatitis C after treatment at the Mayo Clinic, please visit the website of Hardesty, Tyde, Green & Ashton, P.A. today. www.jaxlegal.com.

For further information please contact:

Frank Ashton (904)398-2212
or
Marc Hardesty (904)398-2212