Atlanta Hospital Couldn't Find Piece of Man's Skull After It Was Mixed Up with Other Patients' Bone Fragments: Lawsuit

Mar. 15, 2025

Emory University Hospital Midtown.Photo:TNS/Shutterstock

TNS/Shutterstock

An Atlanta hospital is the subject of a new lawsuit accusing the facility of losing a piece of a patient’s skull.

Emory University Hospital Midtown.Alamy

Alamy

However, “When Emory’s personnel went to retrieve the bone flap," in November 2022, " ‘there were several bone flaps with incomplete or missing patient identification’ and therefore, Emory ‘could not be certain which if any of these belonged to Mr. Cluster,' " according to the complaint.

As a result of the alleged loss of Cluster’s skull portion, the patient required a synthetic bone flap that he claims caused a longer, more intensive hospitalization and spurred an infection that required another surgery, per the complaint.

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The plaintiffs further allege that Cluster incurred “medical expenses in excess of $146,845.60” and that in the time since the surgical procedures, he has endured permanent injuries, been unable to work and taken a toll on his relationship with his family.

The complaint does not specify a dollar figure that the Clusters are seeking, but does note that they are looking to receive both special and general damages.

PEOPLE reached out to Emory Health for comment on the suit, but they did not immediately respond.

According to theAmerican Association of Neurological Surgeons, an intracerebral hemorrhage is “the second most common cause of stroke (15-30% of strokes) and the most deadly.”

source: people.com