Following a string of allegations of mistreatment at Veterans Administration hospitals across the nation, doctors last week removed the wrong testicle from an Air Force veteran. Read CNN.com’s Law Center’s coverage of the story by clicking here.
Instead of removing the potentially cancerous testicle Benjamin Houghton had requested to be removed, doctors removed Houghton’s healthy testicle, and now Houghton has taken the first step in seeking legal remedies in federal court by filing a federal claim.
The filing of a federal claim against the government is generally a prerequisite for the filing of a lawsuit against the government, or in this case, a government agency. It is likely that unless a settlement is reached between Houghton and the federal government, Houghton will proceed with the filing of a lawsuit for the damages caused to him.
Some of the claims Houghton may have made likely include: negligence, battery, and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
