A U.S. Navy veteran in South Carolina is suing Columbia, S.C.-based Dorn Veterans Hospital for denying him emergency care after a urine sample mix-up led them to the hospital labeling him a cocaine addict, according to The State.
Eric Walker, who served in the Navy from 1989 to 1993, went to Dorn with severe abdominal pain and was asked to provide a urine sample. When the urine was sampled, hospital staffers told Mr. Walker his pain was a result of cocaine use. He was discharged and given information on substance treatment programs.
Mr. Walker continued to feel pain for days and eventually went to another local hospital where he underwent surgery for gall stones and other pancreas ailments. He is seeking damages to cover his hospital bills as well as pain and suffering.
"The Dorn VA Hospital provides a valuable service to our veterans and our community is enhanced by this medical provider," Todd Lyle, Mr. Walker's lawyer, told The State. "However, Eric's story is why we must be ever vigilant to protect our veterans."