Medical Malpractice: Carmelo Rodriguez

A Malpractice Story: According to Congressman Hinchey, "The death of Carmelo Rodriguez is an extraordinary tragedy that has left his family with nowhere to turn." He continues, "As the result of a misguided law and subsequent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the Rodriguez family and many other military families in similar situations have no way of holding the military responsible for the negligence of military medical personnel. Joining the military should not mean that one has to give up his or her right to hold medical providers accountable. The Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act of 2008 will finally bring accountability into the military medical system and afford our service members and their families the same rights that the rest of us have when it comes to medical malpractice."

Rodriguez, a Marine who served in Iraq, passed away last year. He was 29 years old. Upon enrolling in the military in 1997, Rodriguez had an initial medical exam performed that showed melanoma on his buttocks. The doctor making the diagnosis, however, did not to inform Rodriguez or refer him to a specialist. While serving in Iraq in 2005, Rodriguez was bothered by melanoma, which was pussing and bleeding. A different military doctor misdiagnosed the skin cancer as a birthmark or wart.

As the skin cancer worsened, Rodriguez's family was unable to obtain a copy of his medical records from the Marines to pass on to other doctors. The family then asked Hinchey's office for help, but by the time the congressman's office received the medical records from the Marines it was too late. Carmelo Rodriguez had three surgeries, received radiation and chemotherapy, but it didn't save his life. The cancer had spread throughout Rodriguez's body and weakened him to the point that he went from being an athletic 190 pound man to weighing less than 80 pounds. He left behind a loving family, including a seven year old son.

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EMT Paramedic Malpractice
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see also:

Malpractice: The Carmelo Rodriguez Story Marine Carmelo Rodriguez Dead Because of Malpractice
Learn about Carmelo Rodriguez and Military Malpractice

Malpractice: The Hinchey Bill Learn about the Hinchey Bill to Permit Military Malpractice Suits
Questions about the Hinchey Bill and Military Malpractice?

Malpractice: The Military Bill from Congressman to Reverse Military Malpractice Injustice
Learn about the Military Malpractice Injustice