Verdicts & Settlements

A 63-year-old man underwent successful coronary artery bypass grafting at the defendant hospital. Over a week later, he began to suffer from pain and swelling in his left calf. He returned to the hospital and was diagnosed with deep venous thrombosis (DVT), or clots in his leg. The patient was admitted and treated with anticoagulant therapy. The medical records indicated some confusion on the part of the medical staff regarding the proper anticoagulant protocol to administer. The patient, a 275-pound individual, was placed on a heparin regimen designed for someone less than half his size. A few days into his hospital stay, the patient’s clot broke and traveled to his lungs, causing a fatal pulmonary embolism. He was survived by his 3 adult children. The case went to trial and the firm obtained a verdict in the amount of $875,000 plus interest. The parties later settled all matters for the total amount of $960,000.