Meet Martin

The Accident
Martin had been riding for about 5 years when he was involved in a motorcycle accident.  After waking up in the hospital, Martin, who was 25 at the time, was paralyzed. 

Medical staff assumed  that the spinal cord injury occurred during the accident. However, Martin was insistent that he could remember moving his arms and legs when he arrived at the ER. Clearly, something was wrong but no one believed Martin and continued to blame the accident.

The Investigation
Dr. Jeremie LaRouche, SiftMed’s co-founder and an orthopaedic spine surgeon, was hired by Martin’s lawyers to review Martin’s file and provide an expert medical opinion. 

Jeremie’s first step was sifting through Martin’s 20,000 page medical file. The unorganized  medical history was riddled with duplicates, notes, and handwritten scribbles. 

After 6 days reviewing documents, Jeremie found a nurse's handwritten note in small text hidden on page 13,156 of Martin’s file - “patient able to fully move arms and legs upon arrival.”

The Impact
‍This provided evidence for Martin’s team to prove that the spinal cord injury occurred after he arrived in hospital. Jeremie then discovered that Martin was not placed in a back brace upon his arrival, which was actually the cause of his paralysis. This information was vital for Martin’s case. Had it been missed Martin would would never be able to prove his claim.

This case left a lasting impression on Jeremie-that small note could have easily been missed. Unfortunately, important facts are often missed during medical file reviews.

Whether you are a physician, claims adjuster or lawyer, reviewing medical files for facts can be a lengthy and tedious, yet critical, process. Let us share our mission with you, together let’s make sure we stop missing the medical facts that matter most for individuals like Martin.