By MONROE ROARK
mroark@thecitizennews.com

A Fayette County woman has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit over a 1999 incident that resulted in amputation of her son's arm.

According to records filed Feb. 10 in Fayette County Superior Court, the Hughston Clinic, which has an office in Fayetteville, is a defendant, along with one of its doctors, who is listed individually.

Tia Bradford-White, filing individually and as “next friend” of Darius White, who is a minor, charges that the clinic and Dr. Alan Davis did not meet the normal standard of care for cases such as Darius' and their negligence resulted in the loss of his arm.

The child was discharged from Southern Regional Medical Center April 15 last year, the suit states, where he was under the care of Dr. Michael Behr for treatment of a fractured left forearm. Behr, also an employee of the Hughston Clinic, is not named in the suit.

Bradford-White called the Hughston Clinic the next day to schedule a follow-up appointment. She was told that none were available that day and given a slot April 20.

She called back April 17 to report that the child had various postoperative complications, such as “pain, swelling, fever, discharge and discoloration,” according to court records.

She reportedly spoke to Davis twice that day and again the next day, and the plaintiff claims that at none of those times did Davis suggest Darius should be seen by a physician.

Bradford-White brought the child to the clinic April 19, and he was examined by Behr and admitted to Fayette Community Hospital for compartment syndrome and infection of the left forearm. He was then airlifted to Egleston Children's Hospital in Atlanta.

His forearm was amputated April 20.

The lawsuit includes a sworn affidavit by Dr. Robert Bright, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon in Maryland, who affirms based on his review of the records that the level of care was not adequate in this case.

Court records did not indicate the child's age or the cause of the original fracture. A call to the plaintiff's attorney in Stone Mountain seeking a comment was not returned by press time.

The suit also states that Davis is a Fayette County resident.