Hammond Daily Star Online

Web site of the Daily Star, Hammond, Louisiana ::

Search Archives:

Search Classifieds:

Jury rules against Goldsby in malpractice suit

Print this story | Comment on this story | Email this story | [+] Text Size [-]

By Don Ellzey

Tuesday, July 3, 2007 10:57 AM CDT

AMITE - An $814,079 malpractice judgment has been handed down against Dr. Reggie Goldsby of Amite by a parish jury.

A general practitioner, Goldsby also serves as mayor of the city.

The suit was filed by Tanya Hendry Sparks on behalf of her father, Marion Hendry.

Of the total, $639,079.49 compensates Sparks for injuries sustained by her father as a result of Goldsby's malpractice, and $175,000 to Sparks for loss of consortium damages.

The jury awarded $100,000 of the total for pain and suffering on the part of Hendry, $125,000 for mental anguish and distress, $209,628.49 in medical expenses and $29,451 for lost wages.

Goldsby's insurance carrier is Louisiana Medical Mutual Insurance Co.

The verdict was issued June 22.

Hendry died Nov. 28, 2003.

Court documents say that according to three physicians who served on the Medical Review Panel and who evaluated Goldsby's treatment of Hendry concluded that Goldsby's care of Hendry was below applicable standards of care demanded of physicians under like circumstances.

Records say that Goldsby failed to properly monitor and treat Hendry's high blood sugar levels, prescribed high doses of steroids to a diabetic patient, failed to properly work up and follow his patient, failed to monitor and treat Hendry's dehydration, failed to monitor and treat his Coumadin levels and in general permitted Hendry's condition to deteriorate to the point of death.

Hendry was admitted to Hood Memorial Hospital in Amite on March 13, 2000. Court records say that before he was admitted to the hospital, Hendry, a retired high school teacher and former assistant superintendent for the Tangipahoa Parish School System, was independent, lived alone, taught GED, drove a car, had a normal mental state and was not confused in any way.

He was admitted for what Goldsby diagnosed as “cellulitis” and osteoarthritis of the right wrist, court records say. It was determined after Hendry was later admitted to North Oaks Medical Center that he had a fractured wrist.

On March 24, 2002, Hendry's blood pressure dropped so low that he became brain damaged, court documents say. Sparks then had him transferred to North Oaks Medical Center.

Because of the brain damage, he was institutionalized, the records show.

Sparks filed the malpractice suit in 2000 against Goldsby and Hood Memorial, but the hospital was later dismissed from the suit.

Return to Previous Page

Comment Blog - Note: All Comments Subject To Approval

Tanya Sparks wrote on Sep 29, 2010 2:06 PM:

" Well if anyone knew anything about this case they would realize that not only did the medical review panel believe Dr. Goldsby was liable but so did a jury of 12 people. It was unanimous. However, I was the caregiver rosalynn was refering to. His condition was reported daily to his Dr. by me.(and that is documented) It he basically went unresponsive and I (not the doctor)had to have him transferred out of the hospital. Had I not done that he would have died 3 years earlier.
People shouldn't make judgements until they know all the facts. "

Glenda Sharkey wrote on Jul 25, 2007 4:20 PM:

" It's interesting that the disparaging comments made toward Dr. Goldsby were written "incognito"...yeah like "Jack Daniel" is for real and the "resident" who wasn't brave enough to sign a real name. What did politics have to do with anything? My name is Glenda Sharkey not Holly Hobby or Strawberry Shortcake! "

Jack Daniel wrote on Jul 24, 2007 11:19 PM:

" HAPPYMAN should read the article he's commenting on. It says three physicians who served on a medical review panel concluded Goldsby's care of Hendry was below applicable standards. This has nothing to do with an "uninformed lay public". After you finish looking down your nose at us please do us a favor and refer those patients quickly! "

happyman wrote on Jul 16, 2007 9:07 PM:

" The problem with diabetes is that control is very difficult - it is unreasonable to place this responsibility on the treating primary physician alone. I have plenty of patients whose families do nothing to encourage dietary compliance or adherence to medications, then wonder if I am not treating them properly (???). Having a guy with diabetes, probably elderly, on steroids & coumadin? what a train wreck, with an almost universally bad prognosis. Seeing cases like this remind me to either NOT HAVE diabetics in my patient panel, or redirect my existing diabetics to endocrinologists (of which there are not enough). Achieving perfection with a disease like diabetes is almost always IMPOSSIBLE, although the expectation of such is UNIVERSAL by the uninformed lay public, who only are eventually hurting themselves. "

Resident wrote on Jul 16, 2007 3:59 PM:

" This is a prime example of why you sould never go to a doctor who is a politician! We all know how Louisiana politics function!. "

Cindy Carlin Ourso wrote on Jul 7, 2007 3:20 PM:

" Although I am saddened this gentlemen died, I do not believe Dr. Goldsby should have been held liable. He is a good man, who always puts his patients and others first. "

Jack Daniel wrote on Jul 4, 2007 10:33 PM:

" Surely you can't beleive that the patient and his family should monitor his condition while in the hospital. If that were the case we really wouldn't need doctors, but then in this case it doesn't seem as though it helped to have a doctor. "

rosalynn wrote on Jul 4, 2007 9:40 AM:

" Please do not judge too harshly. Patients have to be active in their care also. A physician can not be with his patients 24/7. They or their caregivers have some responsibility for monitoring and reporting to the physician their bloodsugar counts, etc. Remember God was the only perfect physician. "

Merlin Achord wrote on Jul 3, 2007 5:37 PM:

" Its weird how some Dr.s and hospitals can get by with some of their actions. I took my wife to the emergency room with excruciating stomach pain and while she was waiting to see a Dr., it got worse and she started screaming that something had burst in her stomach. A Dr. came in, but told her to shut up or he wasn't going to treat her. It was hurting so bad she couldn't shut up so he just turned around and left the room and refused to come back. I called our family Dr. and the Dr. gave the nurse instructions over the phone. It turned out to be a busted stomach aneurysm. Once in the operating room, they said they had to fly her to another hospital because they weren't equipped to do the operation. A Dr. happened to be in there and overheard the conversation and told us he was from Harvard setting up to do this procedure, so he did and saved her life. We never saw an emergency room Dr. Two attorneys told us that he had every right not to treat her. We make sure he doesn't get anywhere us now. "

Comments are limited to 200 words or less.

COMMENT RULES
Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responible for comments posted on this Web site.

Do not post:

Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
Personal attacks, insults or threats.
The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
Comments unrelated to the story.

If you believe that a commenter has not followed these guidelines, please use our online feedback form.

Thank you for your comments!

Find out about our RSS feeds and what they are.