Woman Files Malpractice Suit Over Failure To Timely Treat Dog Bite

A woman from Ohio has filed a malpractice suit against a Mason County hospital and one of its physicians, alleging they failed to timely treat a personal injury she suffered when she was bitten by a dog.

According to the suit 66-year-old Drema Ashley filed against Pleasant Valley Hospital and Dr. James Toothman in Mason Circuit Court on August 18, the doctor’s improper treatment of a dog bite wound she suffered two years ago resulted in one of her fingers requiring amputation.

Court records say that Ashley went to the hospital’s emergency room on August 27, 2007, seeking treatment for a dog bite she suffered to her left hand. The suit does not specify the breed of dog, or the conditions that led to the attack.

The suit alleges that Toothman attended to Ashley, but failed to properly treat the wound, eventually resulting in her middle finger being amputated. The suit does not specify the actions Toothman or the hospital failed to take or not take.

Ashley claims the actions of the doctor and the hospital caused her permanent injury including permanent disfigurement. She says this has resulted in her experiencing emotional distress, annoyance, inconvenience, lost ability to enjoy life, lost earnings, and lost earning capacity.

Ashley seeks unspecified damages.