Involuntary Manslaughter Charges Filed Against California Doctor After Patient Dies During Surgery
Involuntary manslaughter charges were filed by Los Angeles prosecutors last month against Dr. Roberto Bonilla, after his patient Osvaldo Hernandez died during surgery in the doctor’s Inglewood home. Mr. Hernandez went to the doctor for gallbladder surgery but died from an overdose of Lidocanie administered by the doctor. Even though Dr. Hernandez’s home was only a block away from an actual hospital, he did not attempt to bring the dying patient in for care. Instead, the doctor tried to resuscitate Mr. Hernandez for three hours.
Osvaldo Hernandez’s death revisits a murky area of California law that prohibits surgeries being performed outside of hospitals or surgical centers only when general anesthesia is required. In the case of Mr. Hernandez, Dr. Bonilla only used a local anesthetic to perform the surgery. The accused doctor had no previous disciplinary actions on his record prior to the death of Osvaldo Hernandez, and has performed numerous surgeries in his home prior.
According the the California state attorney general’s office, many cases of elder abuse go unreported or even undetected. The Sacramento Nursing Home Negligence Lawyers of Bowman & Associates serve clients across Northern California. If you or someone you know have been injured in a nursing home, contact our Sacramento Personal Injury Law Firm for your free initial consultation.
[source]
