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Doctor
Found Guilty of Elder Abuse
Abridged Story
From a news story by
CNN San Francisco Reporter James Hattori
June 12, 2001
A jury in Northern California
has found a doctor caused elder abuse. Family thought the doctor did
not give enough pain medication to a dying patient. The jury gave one-and-a-half
million dollars to the patient's family.
The patient's children say they were sure they would lose. But the jury
said the doctor was reckless and caused elderly abuse.
The patient's son says he wanted to tell the true story. His father
had too much pain.
The 85-year-old patient died of cancer patient in February 1998. He
spent six days at a hospital in Castro Valley, California. His children
say he had too much pain because Dr. Wing Chin didn't give enough painkillers
The trial lasted one month. Dr Chin said he used the usual pain control
system. Dr. Chin's lawyer said that the doctor used the usual standard
of care.
Family members said they didn't directly ask the doctor for more medication.
They trusted that the doctors knew how to control the pain.
The problem of not enough pain medication is widespread. Doctors might
be more careful in the future.
California laws don't allow pain and suffering awards for the people
who have died. This case was for elder abuse. The jury's award of one-point-five
million dollars is likely to be reduced to 250-thousand dollars because
the state has a cap on awards.
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