Medical Malpractice
- Birth Injury – $3,000,000 – The Mother came to the hospital in labor with her first child. During labor, the baby’s heart rate slowed significantly causing a lack of oxygen to her brain. The Nurse Midwife and several Resident Physicians failed to appreciate the severity of the circumstances; and once recognized failed to act promptly and appropriately to deliver the child. The baby was left with significant brain injury and disability.
- Cancer Misdiagnosis – $980,000 – Patient reported painless swollen gland in his neck to his Physician. The Physician misdiagnosed the patient’s condition as tonsillitis when it was actually a type of cancer that affects the glands. The delay in diagnosis of this nasopharyngeal cancer caused the need for radiation and chemotherapy when only chemotherapy would have been needed. The radiotherapy caused problems with his saliva glands, and the delay increased the risk of recurrence. The matter was tried to a verdict and then settled on appeal for less than original verdict.
- Failure to properly manage airway – $715,000 – A prematurely born baby with pre-existing airway problems was allowed to go home to live with family with aid of in home Nurse. The Nurse failed to properly manage the baby’s airway which caused a decrease in oxygen to the baby. The baby’s already fragile condition was more greatly compromised.
- Surgery/Anesthesia – $650,000 – A Single woman with no dependents was in need of abdominal surgery for a potential obstructing tumor of her intestines. She consented to the surgery. During the beginning of anesthesia, after she was sedated but before the surgery started, a Nurse Anesthetist was told to intubate the patient for general anesthesia. The Nurse Anesthetist mistakenly put the tube into the patient’s esophagus (to her stomach) instead of into her trachea (to her lungs). Because she was sedated for surgery, her stomach contents entered her mouth then entered her lungs. She suffered severe lung damage and later died.
- Cardiology/Heart – $500,000 – A man in his 50’s had triple bypass surgery 10 years prior. He was in hospital for possible gall bladder surgery and had a nuclear stress test that was abnormal. He did not need the surgery. Thereafter the Physician cardiologist failed to properly follow up and monitor the patient after his abnormal stress test. The patient had a heart attack and needed cardiac catheterization with stenting to open his heart blood vessels. He passed away as a consequence of the procedure.
- Birth Injury – $400,000 – During the delivery of the plaintiff infant girl, the Physician improperly reacted to the baby getting “stuck” in the birth canal. The physician improperly managed the Shoulder Dystocia delivery by pulling too hard on the baby’s head to try and force her out of the Birth canal. The pulling on the baby’s head caused nerve damage in an area where the nerves exit the neck and innervate the arm. The girl has an Erb’s Palsy with some paralysis in her arm.
- Surgery – $400,000 – A man in his 60’s with congenital heart malformation received a mechanical heart valve. As part of the post valve replacement care, the patient was placed on blood thinners, which he was to remain on therapeutically for the rest of his life. His primary care physician failed to properly monitor the blood thinners during the initial start of the care when it is important to get the patient into a steady state of thinner blood (anticoagulation). The blood thinner (coumadin) dose was over prescribed for the patient and his blood thinner level (INR) rose to a very high level. The patient then began to bleed, his blood pressure dropped and he suffered a heart attack and died.
- Surgery/Stroke – $400,000 – The patient had previously had heart valve replacement surgery and was on constant blood thinner therapy to prevent a blood clot from forming on the metal heart valve. She was then scheduled to have 2 moles removed which required her to come off her blood thinners in a carefully controlled way. Her Internist failed to properly monitor her during this period causing the patient to develop a blood clot and then have a stroke.
- Error During Tumor Resection – $375,000 – Pre-existing tumor in the auditory canal of a 60 year old woman began to grow and press on her auditory nerve causing hearing problems and headaches. Surgery was performed to remove the tumor and during the surgery, the Physician negligently damaged the nerve tissue near the surgical site causing hearing loss and a partial paralysis of the eye lid.
- Cardiology/Respiratory – $290,000 – A 70 year old man with cardiac problems and respiratory issues was admitted to the hospital for medical monitoring. During the night, the staff failed to recognize that the cardiac monitor had become disconnected and was not registering activity. The patient was found in the morning having suffered a severe heart attack. The patient later died.
- Psychiatry – $250,000 – A woman goes to a psychiatrist for therapy for depression and anxiety. During the therapy, the physician and patient become emotionally and physically involved due to the physician’s failure to properly manage the emotional aspects of psycho-therapy. The physical involvement continues in “therapy sessions” for several months until the patient ends physician-patient relationship.
- Disease Misdiagnosis – $225,000 – The patient had recently had surgery and was at risk for infection and complications. The consulting Surgeon saw the patient after complaints consistent with a developing infection in the gall bladder. The Surgeon failed to timely diagnose this progressive, dangerous, gall bladder infection. The delay caused multiple organs to fail which lead to the death of this 70 year old man.