Woman Is First Live Kidney Donor to Die in History of Organ Donor Program August 7, 2012.

Recently, a man’s sister agreed to donate her kidney to him, but her aorta was cut during the surgery. The man was put back on the wait list and received a call that he would get his transplant in June. That operation was cancelled at the last minute. The reason?

"It turned out, those in charge of the organ donor process didn’t get the mandatory approval to give him a kidney on an expedited basis," said medical malpractice attorney Chris Mellino.

Obviously, by bumping the man to the top of the organ donor list, people were trying to make amends for the surgical mistake that killed the man’s sister who was, in fact, the first live kidney donor to die in the 40-year history of the organ donor program. Unfortunately, the man was never told that authorization was required for the June transplant.

"Medical malpractice isn’t always as evident as it was in this case, or when you read about a doctor who removed the wrong kidney," Mellino stated. "People should always take advantage of the free consultations that medical malpractice attorneys offer if they aren’t sure whether they can sue. We’re here to provide guidance."

If you have questions about a potential medical malpractice claim, attorney Chris Mellino welcomes you to contact our Cleveland office for a free consultation.