THOUSAND OAKS : Trash Collector Files Suit Over Loss of Leg

A Thousand Oaks trash collector whose leg was amputated after he was injured on the job filed two lawsuits Wednesday claiming the accident could have been prevented and that the doctors who treated him are guilty of malpractice.

One lawsuit by Gilberto Alavez claims that the manufacturer and seller of his trash truck negligently failed to warn him of possible dangers. The other Superior Court lawsuit says he was misdiagnosed by the physicians who treated him, resulting in the unnecessary amputation of his leg.

Court documents say Alavez was collecting trash on March 3, 1992, when his left foot became wedged between the truck and the sidewalk. Two days later, when he sought medical treatment, doctors did not properly evaluate whether he could be treated without having the leg amputated, one suit says.

The lawsuit claiming defective design of the trash truck is against unnamed defendants involved in manufacture, sale, repair and inspection of the vehicle. Named as defendants in the medical malpractice lawsuit are Drs. Barry Thall, Michael Ciano and Phillip Barry, and Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks. Both suits seek unspecified damages.