Brazilian courts order compensations for medical and utility service negligence

Brazilian courts have issued several rulings against service providers and medical institutions for negligence and consumer rights violations.

In Campo Grande, a hospital was ordered to pay R$ 15,000 in moral damages after a patient spent approximately four and a half hours soaked in urine following plastic surgery. The court ruled that the hospital's failure to address a faulty urinary catheter constituted negligence, noting that internal protocols do not override the fundamental duty of hygiene and care.

In Mato Grosso, Unimed Cuiabá was condemned to pay R$ 5,000 in damages after a five-year-old child with severe autism had essential therapies interrupted due to biometric registration issues. The judge ruled that administrative hurdles cannot prevent the continuity of essential medical treatments, especially when such interruptions risk developmental regression.

Additionally, in Cuiabá, the utility company Águas Cuiabá was ordered to pay R$ 7,000 to a resident after cutting off her water supply following a dispute over a bill that had more than doubled her average monthly cost. The court found the company failed to adequately investigate the sudden spike in consumption before suspending the essential service.