Medical Malpractice:
FORMER COMMERCIAL PILOT LOST USE OF
ARM DUE TO NEGLIGENT MEDICAL TREATMENT
A jury awarded $7.2 million to a
commercial pilot who lost the use of his arm and his career due to a
botched medical procedure at a
WOMAN CONTRACTED FLESH-EATING
BACTERIA DURING VEIN REMOVAL SURGERY
A vein removal patient was permanently
damaged and scarred from exposure to flesh-eating bacteria during a
simple surgical procedure undertaken to relieve chronic pain. Her
physician carried only $100,000 in liability insurance; a settlement
for the limits of that policy was reached with his insurance
carrier.
SURGICAL ERRORS AND SUB-STANDARD
MEDICAL TREATMENT CAUSED PARTIAL PARALYSIS
A jury awarded $4.5 million to a woman
who was rendered partially paralyzed for life by a surgical error
that compressed her spinal cord. A delay in diagnosis following
surgery compounded this error and substantially worsened her
ultimate condition.
MEDICATION ERROR CREATED
PARAPALEGIC CONDITION
An error in medication caused an 89
year-old woman who was being treated following orthopedic hip
surgery to develop a blood clot on her spine. Her doctors’
failure to diagnose this problem on a timely basis resulted in her
becoming a complete paraplegic. A $1.7 million settlement was
reached with the doctors and hospital in the case.
DELIVERY ROOM MISTAKES RESULTED IN
SERIOUS INJURIES FOR MOTHER AND CHILD
A settlement of $2.85 million was reached
with the doctor and hospital in a case where a delay in initiating a
cesarean section, followed by a surgical mistake during that
procedure, caused serous injury and medical complications for both a
mother and her baby.
Navy and Military Medical Malpractice:
NAVY WIFE DIED FROM NEGLIGENT
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
Settlement for $1 million was reached
with the federal government in a lawsuit brought on behalf of the
family of a Navy wife who was admitted to the naval hospital for
menstrual pain and died within weeks, due to negligent care and
surgical procedure.
AIR FORCE VETERAN DIED FROM
SUB-STANDARD MEDICAL CARE
A mother of twins admitted to the Navy
Hospital ER with chest pains died of an aortic rupture after her
medical team failed to perform necessary diagnostic tests and
appreciate the life-threatening nature of her condition. Her
family recovered $1.5 million from the U.S. government, under the
Federal Tort Claims Act.
FORMER NAVY SIGNALMAN LOST WIFE OF
40 YEARS
Violations in standard of care at naval
hospital lead to the death of Navy wife with a treatable heart
condition. Case was concluded with the settlement of a
wrongful death claim in an undisclosed amount on behalf of her
surviving spouse, a retired Navy Signalman First Class.
UNSTERILE INSTRUMENTS USED ON NAVY
DEPENDENT
A call from her physician at the naval
hospital informed the wife of a Navy Officer that her hernia
operation had just been performed with unsterile instruments. She
was required to undergo testing for a series of blood-borne
conditions, including HIV and Hepatitis. While a Standard Form 95
for medical malpractice has been filed on her behalf, she continues
to require testing to confirm she did not contract any disease as a
result of being exposed to medical procedures that fell far below
the standard of care.
NATIONAL GUARDSMEN KILLED IN CRASH
OF TURBO-PROP AIRCRAFT WITH UNTESTED MODIFICATIONS
A settlement for $3.75 million was
negotiated for five families of the Virginia Air National
Guard who were passengers on a troop-carrying aircraft that suddenly
became unstable and broke apart in flight, killing all aboard.
Investigation revealed that the plane’s manufacturers had made
modifications to it that had a dangerous effect on its longitudinal
stability.
MILITARY HELICOPTER’S FAULTY FUEL
TANK DESIGN LEADS TO FIERY CRASH
A jury verdict of $22.5 million was
awarded to the families of servicemen who were killed or injured
after their Blackhawk Helicopter became uncontrollable, crashed, and
burst into flames while landing at an Army airfield in Germany. The
manufacturer’s defense of pilot error was discredited by an
investigation that proved the aircraft’s fuel tank design was the
actual cause of the accident. The jury verdict was upheld on appeal
by the United States Supreme Court.
CRASH OF IMPROPERLY MAINTAINED
AIRCRAFT INJURES PILOT AND PASSENGER
An engine stall during flight caused a
rental aircraft to crash, injuring all aboard. Investigation
proved that the aircraft had been improperly maintained and the case
was concluded in a settlement for the policy limits of the aircraft
owner’s insurance.
Automobile and Trucking Accidents:
CAR SEAT FAILURE AND FAULTY AUTO
DESIGN CAUSED MULTIPLE DEATHS AND SERIOUS INJURY
A major automotive manufacturer provided
a settlement of $ 2.75 million after the crash of a van resulted in
two deaths and serious injury to a third individual. These
catastrophic results were caused by the vehicle’s roll-over and a
collapsing seat back – both elements of a faulty automotive design
that failed to protect vehicle occupants during an accident
sequence.
Personal Injury/Wrongful Death
FAMILY OF SLAIN CHILD PREVAILED IN
CIVIL COURT
A judge awarded $5 million to the family
whose seven-month old daughter was killed by the babysitter retained
to care for the infant. This civil court case took a number of years
to come to trial, as it had to wait for the conclusion of the
criminal case against the babysitter, who now is in prison serving
an eight-year sentence.
FORMER SMOKER’S LUNG CANCER LED TO
HISTORIC VERDICT AGAINST BIG TOBACCO
A judgment in excess of $2 million was
obtained against a major cigarette manufacturer on behalf of a
smoking-addicted 61-year old who contracted lung cancer. This
ground-breaking victory represented the very first time in American
history that a cigarette company was held liable for its defective
product and wrongful conduct.