Ontario Court Finds Two Doctors Negligent for Failing to Consult Cardiovascular Surgeon

A Canadian court has found that if two doctors are working together, both can be liable for negligent medical treatment where one was in charge and the other was sufficiently involved. The ruling resulted from a case involving an aortic rupture of a patient with a congenital heart condition during an angioplasty procedure. The cardiologist and vascular surgeon performing the procedure responded to the situation themselves, placing a covered stent to partially contain the patient's bleeding, rather than bringing in the hospital's cardiovascular surgery service to immediately perform a surgical repair. The patient saw a cardiovascular surgeon several hours later and underwent surgery to successfully repair her aorta, but she experienced serious injuries. The judge found that the need for cardiovascular surgery was inevitable and imminent and ruled that the appellants' failure to seek immediate and proper care for the patient made them liable for her injuries.