Doctor sued for negligence?

Thursday, September 3

Popular Taiwanese singer-songwriter David Tao has decided to sue famous orthopedic, Doctor Chen Hongyi, for medical negligence. He is suffering the aftereffects from an operation he had many years ago to fix a broken middle finger. His finger is no longer as agile as it used to be, affecting his guitar and piano-playing. Tao is seeking monetary reimbursement for the error, and the case, which lies in the jurisdiction of the Taipei District Court, is currently undergoing investigations .


Chen, who's the Head of the Department of Osteopathy and Orthopedics at Taipei City's Hospital Yangming branch, expressed his stand and clarified that he had thoroughly explained the surgical procedure to Tao, and consistently reminded him to take a break and recuperate at home. He further stated that Tao did not heed his instructions and continued with his concert tour and is deeply disappointed at Tao's sudden decision to sue him.

Dr Chen also revealed that the American doctors were unable to diagnose Tao's condition. After a check-up, he discovered the bone fracture and explained to the singer that chances of recovery are much higher after an operation. He reiterated his stand and maintained that he had informed Tao that he can no longer be as agile and perform like he used to, and that the singer had accepted the surgery.

Instructed to rest for four to six weeks to completely allow the bone to heal, Tao did not heed Chen's instructions and left the hospital the next day after the surgery ended. It was also said that Tao did not return to the hospital for routine check-ups.

Tao expressed that after the surgery, he found that his fingers became more rigid and stiff. He shared that he is unable to carry heavy objects, affecting his guitar and piano-playing agility. It came across as a double whammy for the singer, who relied heavily on his innate composing capabilities. The singer reckoned that it might be the work of the overly-long steel nail that caused his fingers to become even more rigid.