NEW ORLEANS — A patient is suing the United States, alleging it denied him an administrative claim regarding botched eye surgery.
Anthony Lucas filed a class action lawsuit May 11 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against the United States of America, doing business as the Veterans Administration Medical Center, alleging negligence in failing to ensure that their medical providers has the requisite experience to perform eye surgery.
According to the complaint, Lucas was a patient of the Ophthalmology Unit at the Veterans Administration Medical Center where on July 24, 2014, the defendant's medical providers performed a surgical procedure on his left eye.
The suit says the medical providers acted negligently in severing and/or damaging Lucas' eye, which has rendered him unable to open his left eye and led to substantial pain, emotional injuries and disfigurement.
On July 30, 2015, the lawsuit states, Lucas filed an administrative claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which was denied on April 6, 2016.
The plaintiff alleges the United States' medical care providers failed to apply the required degree of knowledge and/or skills in performing their duties and failed to use reasonable care while operating on his eye.
Lucas seeks a trial by jury, reasonable damage plus interest, court costs, expert fees and all other relief the court deems appropriate. He is represented by attorneys Pete Lewis and Barrett R. Stephens of Lewis & Caplan APLC in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-cv-05009