Kaiser faces $13M lawsuit after patient was allegedly injected with rubbing alcohol before her toenails were removed
A patient having her toenails removed was injected with rubbing alcohol instead of a local anesthetic, causing extreme pain—made worse by the fact that the nails were then pulled off, a lawsuit claims.
Filed in Oregon, the complaint names Kaiser Permanente and one of its doctors as defendants. It’s alleged that the doctor performing the toenail extraction was “in a rush” and was negligent, causing Sarah Blackman to scream in agony after the first toenail was removed.
She had to beg not to have the second toe “treated,” the lawsuit claims.
But, the doctor, a podiatrist, told her it was better to just get it over with. He injected her second toe with what was allegedly rubbing alcohol for a second time, pulling her ingrown toenail free from her foot.
Blackman is seeking $13 million for pain and suffering.
The doctor, whose name has not been released to the public, is no longer at Kaiser, but now works for another organization in the state. He or she has not commented on the incident publicly.
The painful toenail extraction happened in January.
Full-blown emergency?
The lawsuit goes on to detail how cells and tissues in Blackman’s toes began to struggle to survive as a result of the 70% isopropyl injections. In the legal filing, Blackman is said to have been left struggling to walk and in chronic pain, left emotionally scarred by the incident.
Nine days after the procedure she ended up back at Kaiser, this time in the emergency room. Her feet, swollen and changing color, were said to have left medical staff unsure of how to proceed with treatment.
They diagnosed her with an infection, the lawsuit said.
Three weeks after the trip to the ER, Blackman said she received an email from Kaiser confirming that rubbing alcohol was accidentally used in place of a local painkiller.
Kaiser has yet to publicly respond to the allegations. HealthExec reached out for comment.
Blackman’s lawsuit is still pending in a county court.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.