Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 1984)
Friday, February 3, 1984/The Battalion/Page 5 ir Kid paralyzed, family accepts $2.9 million United Press International ; They're I ar in M cks.” Ce: and Fo»- H smothei | isses. ■ EL PASO — The family of ertificatepjChristopher Lucas should re- its will leI|ceive $2.9 million because an ihs. PriifiliArmy hospital and a phar maceutical manufacturer made mistakes that caused the boy to be paralyzed from the waist mown, a federal judge ruled. U.S. District Court Judge Harry Lee Hudspeth ruled last flveek that medical personnel at W illiam Beaumont Army Medical Center were negligent nets ai\4 is fair as i izations to fun, and ' for theii ? Williams, n. commiliet ’shasbeaHn treating Christopher, who ce last fall, participat. | I an entn til perceit ings from ay for tlie :urity ptt ■xpectsab and area “All-Nit as 14 months old at the time of he incident in 1979. The Lucas family, now living n Salt Lake City, Utah, should e awarded $2.5 million for ast, present and future medical expenses and suffering, Huds- eth ruled after studying the :ase for more than a year. Christopher’s parents are iRichard and Leigh Anne Lucas, bhs father runs a woodworking ‘shop in Salt Lake City. The Lucases should also be awarded $400,000 in a separate laim against Wyeth Laborator ies, the judge ruled. The lab manufactures Bicillin LA, the drug that Christopher was in jected with in his buttock. The Lucases claim that the Bicillin are: oil a package insert was inadequate watercok |) eca use failed to mention the awings,[w risk of paralysis it it is injected in d igs, charm rigs, mmi c, lithognp. hings), blii iphy and the buttocks. The Lucases and the govern ment presented evidence to Hudspeth during a non-jury civil trial in 1982. Christopher’s father, who was in the Army, and mother took him to the hospital for treatment of a sore throat. During the trial, it was re vealed that Christopher was in jected with Bicillin LA, a pro duct of penicillin used in intra muscular injections. According to Hudspeth’s judgement, medical personnel “inserted the needle to its full length” which, in a “child the age of Christopher Lucas, fell below the standard of care.” Because the needle was too long, it passed entirely through the child’s muscle mass and pierced a blood vessel, which led to the swelling of the nerve tissue within the spinal column, caus ing the paralysis, Hudspeth ruled. In addition, Hudspeth said that the injection was given in the lower quadrant of the but tock. As a result of the injuries, Christopher is “a paraplegic for life . has permanent bowel and bladder problems, requires catheterization several times a day to clear his bladder, is in danger of kidney infection, and will have no sexual function,” Hudspeth said. White supports prison director United Press International AUSTIN — Gov. Mark White and the state prison board emerged from a closed- door meeting Thursday to reaffirm their support for acting prison director Dan McKaskle and reject the no tion of imminent large-scale firings in the troubled correc tions system. White said he called the special meeting to get an up date from the board and be cause of continuing news re ports alleging mismanage ment and possible fraud at the Texas Department of Correc tions. The latest allegations came from Rep. Ray Keller, R- Duncanville, who charged that the TDC was keeping two sets of books on the food given to employees as a fringe be nefit. Keller said the list of emoluments filed with the Legislature was “blatantly in accurate” because it under stated the allotments of food given to high-ranking TDC employees. After meeting for more than two hours, Texas Board of Corrections Chairman Bob Gunn said no specific changes had been approved at the meeting, but that the board decided to express continued support for McKaskle. Asked if McKaskle’s au thority was in doubt, Gunn said: “I think probably it was in his mind.” White also said he thought McKaskle would make an “ex cellent” permanent director of the TDC. Gunn rejected the possibil ity of any widespread person nel changes at T DC, as some lawmakers have called for. “I don’t foresee any great house cleaning,” he said. I”m not even going to project a great change.” He also rejected rumors of imminent resignations by high-ranking TDC adminis trators as “a bunch of malarkey.” Gunn said he was not con vinced that the list of fringe benefits uncovered by Keller was the one actually used in dispensing meat, eggs, milk and vegetables to prison em ployees. “I assure you we are going to move quickly to check on this,” he said. “But I don’t be lieve its a dual bookkeeping process.” Prior to the board meeting, White was questioned at length about the prison sys tem’s problems and his deal ing with the TDG during his tenure as attorney general. White said he had had “sharp disagreements” with TDC administrators and stop ped just short of saying they had lied to him at times. “I don’t know if we ever cal led it that (lies). We had some misunderstandings that were severe and they won’t happen again,” he said. Music Express STORE WIDE SALE A&M police beat LAST BIG tiers m &t| vea$25o |The following incidents were bylocaliM;- Ireported to the University Police iceremoma Department on Wednesday. gentries>: THEFTS: BrazosCc • A green, Murray ten-speed ary. Secoifebicycle from the Legget Hall nnerswiuJ bike rack. ■izes. I; HARASSMENT: eingaccept| • A student in Krueger Hall teofPostOsf Ireceived an anonymous haras- n andGps ling telephone call from a male. 3feeforeai |She reported that she had Iwalked out of her bathroom ffliude while her window blinds iwere partially open. • A student in dormitory IQ seven reported several obscene ^ phone calls from an anonymous ■ tnale. The student has received ion fehe calls since spring semester began. University police are in vestigating these incidents. ARSON: • A motorcycle in the base ment of Zachry Engineering Center was set on fire. Universi ty Police officers were able to ex tinguish the blaze. The pre liminary investigation by the College Station Fire Marshall in dicates the fire was deliberately set. OTHER: • A 1976, maroon Chevrolet Camaro was stolen from Park ing Lot 51. University Police are investigating the report. • The glass sunroof of a Chev rolet Camaro in Parking Lot 56 was broken. jer open, ). Reid" not dei 1 the rnl I not go f»| icate r spokesmiill'^ leclinedcm < ' SUNDAY SPECIAL 11 A.M.to8P.M. ALL YOU CAN EAT! DINNER OLE' Two Cheese Enchiladas, Tamale, Rice and Beans. Taco, Chalupa, Chile Con Queso Tortilla and Guacamole Salad. 1000’s to choose "ELIMINATOR- ZZTOP CASSETTE i DAVID SANBORN BACKSTREET > * ELTON JOHN Too Low For Zero MFG. LIST iGEFFEN IIU8iiATLA.r>iTic:ll | RECORDS iHlftlBMIHHfifil JOHN ANDERSON All The People Are Talkin' $4.95 LOCATED IN POST OAK MALL West entrance between Wilson’s and Dillards. per person BUSINESS HOURS Sunday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Phone 764-0933 JAMES INGRAM It’s Your Night ter 86° ter lems Dr, n Attitude Adjustment Happy V ^ur 2 for I CEOB during i Open Daily 11:00-10:00 OSCARS (next to Bennigans) Culpepper PlaZS College Station 764-7465 MOTLEY CRUE SHOUTAT THE DEVIL / DON’T \ MISS THE N PARTY/ Includes Looks Th;it Kill. Roc! Hot • Hplter Skultpr Midnight Star NO PARKING ON THE DANCE FLOOR V X -THESE TUXES AND MANY MORE- OPENN TIL MID NIGHT, COME JOIiV THE EXCITEMEITT AND SEE WHY EVERYBODY LOVES OUR SALES!? -FREE SHIAER BOCK BEER- MUSIC 725-B UNIVERSITY DRIVE OPEN 10-10 Behind Skaggs & McDonalds’ 846-1741