A lawsuit has been filed by the husband of a Florida woman, alleging that her death was caused by a surgical robot during a procedure. The lawsuit claims that the woman suffered injuries and eventually passed away due to complications arising from the use of the ‘da Vinci’ robot during surgery.
Key Takeaway
A lawsuit has been filed by the husband of a Florida woman, alleging that her death was caused by a surgical robot during a procedure. The lawsuit claims that the woman suffered injuries and eventually passed away due to complications arising from the use of the ‘da Vinci’ robot during surgery.
Robot Malfunction
According to the legal documents, Sandra Sultzer, a resident of Boca Raton, underwent a procedure to treat her colon cancer using the da Vinci robot. The da Vinci robot is a 4-armed machine that is controlled by a surgeon operating a camera and steering the robot’s arms using a joystick and foot pedals. The lawsuit alleges that during the procedure, the robot caused a burn in Sultzer’s small intestine, leading to further complications.
Alleged Design Flaws
The lawsuit claims that the robot’s rubber sleeves around the arms had cracks, which allowed electrical currents to escape, resulting in the burning of Sultzer’s body tissues. It is alleged that the surgical team was unaware of the burning of her internal organs during the procedure. The lawsuit further alleges that the company that manufactures the da Vinci robot, Intuitive Surgical Inc., failed to adequately warn of these risks, despite being aware of thousands of injury and defect reports about the device. The lawsuit also claims that the product was not designed in a safe way or tested enough to avoid the burn risks.
Legal Action
Sultzer’s husband is seeking unspecified damages, including punitive damages, as a result of the alleged negligence and design flaws associated with the da Vinci robot.
