Ben Carson Accused of Medical Malpractice

An article about Presidential hopeful Ben Carson first published in May 2015 went viral in September 2015 as people commented on the presidential debates.  In the Guardian article, Carson’s settlements with patients who alleged medical malpractice were discussed in the press.

Ben Carson is a doctor and presidential hopeful for 2016.  He was once director of pediatric neurosurgery at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins hospital. Ben Carson is now retired. Carson ran a strong second in the national polls behind businessman Donald Trump in September 2015. Carson has no elective experience and no record of recognized accomplishments outside the operating room.

Carson grew up in Detroit to become a recognized physician.  He once defined “What is a physician?” as: “A physician is a healer. And healing actually involves more than just the physical side of things. It also involves the mental and spiritual sides of things because human beings are very complex.”

Carson is seeking the Republican nomination for president.  He has spent most of his life as a pediatric neurosurgeon, caring for the well-being of children.  However, like many professionals, he has been sued.  Maryland court records indicate Carson has been involved in at least a half-dozen malpractice cases.  Some of the cases are pending.  Others settled or dismissed for unknown amounts. Carson has faced several malpractice allegations since the early 1980s.

Carson once performed as many as 400 operations per year, considered a high caseload for neurosurgeons.  Some patients claim Carson was not a perfect doctor.  The patients have told the press that Carson left them with continued suffering from paralysis, seizure, an uncontrollable bladder and other life-altering pains.

Carson had an average of one malpractice claim every five years throughout his 35-year career at Johns Hopkins.  The amount of claims is consistent with a 2011 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which discovered about 20% of neurosurgeons are hit with a malpractice claim annually.  Some people suggested that Carson might have more claims against him since some cases do not name the doctor, but just the hospital as a defendant.

The news about the malpractice claims might hurt Carson in the press since he is not able to benefit from a clean legacy as a doctor.  Polls in September 2015 showed he was ahead of some established Tea Party members.