NEW ORLEANS -- Rodney P. Ridl filed a federal complaint on October 29 in the Eastern District of Louisiana against The United States of America and/or The Department of Veterans Affairs and Veterans Administration Medical Center New Orleans for negligence.
According to the complaint, Ridl was diagnosed in July 2018 with a cataract and possibly torn retina in his left eye. Diagnostic testing performed at the VA Medical Center in Portland, Oregon, revealed that Ridl had proliferative diabetic retinopathy of both eyes with vitreous hemorrhage, the suit says.
In September 2018, Ridl received an Avastin injection and vitrectomy surgery for his left eye. Ridl reported to the VA Medical Center in New Orleans for his appointment on December 18, 2018. Ridl alleges that Dr. James Diamond, an ophthalmologist employed by the VA, refused to administer the prescribed Avastin shots and claimed to not have access to any of Ridl’s previous medical records from the VA.
Ridl alleges that Diamond created an erroneous medical history stating that Ridl had retinal reattachment surgery instead of vitrectomies. When Ridl tried to correct Diamond, Ridl alleges that his attempts were ignored.
Diamond ultimately demanded that Ridl set up a residence in southeast Louisiana as a condition to him receiving treatment at the New Orleans VA and concluded that the Portland VA had botched the vitrectomies, the suit claims. On January 7, 2019, Ridl returned to see Diamond, at which time Diamond prioritized correcting a double vision issue instead of a detached retina, and again refused to administer the injections of Avastin, the suit says.
Ridl contacted the doctor at the Portland VA who stated that Ridl's retina needed to be fixed, the suit says. Ridl began suffering extreme pain in his right eye and returned to the New Orleans VA via the emergency room on January 17, 2019, and was referred to the eye clinic, where Diamond gave the shot of Avastin order in November, the suit says. Ridl alleges that Diamond’s negligent treatment has caused him to suffer near total blindness in his right eye.
Ridl seeks damages for past, present and future pain and suffering, mental anguish, medical expenses, loss of earning capacity, lost wages, disability, general and special damages, cost of suit and attorney fees. Ridl is represented by G. Brice Jones of Brice Jones and Associates, LLC.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana case number 2:21-cv-01996-EEF-KWR