14 Times Catheter Insertion Failure Leads To $4M Verdict

14 Times Catheter Insertion Failure Leads To $4M Verdict

Introduction

A jury awarded $4 million verdict to the family of a 72-year-old man who died after his doctor tried to insert a catheter 14 times. According to the lawsuit, the victim was suffering from mitral valve regurgitation, a heart problem that can cause a backflow of blood. He also had 80% to 90% blockage in one of his arteries. Palm Beach Gardens' doctor justifying surgery to unclog, inserted a catheter that ran from the victim's leg to his heart. While inserting the catheter, the doctor did it for a total of 14 times, which basically was the cause of death of the victim. The plaintiffs' attorneys argued that Sanford should have been referred to a cardiac surgeon and put on medication as he was not experiencing any symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath and did not need the surgery. The lawsuit was filed by the victim's wife and daughter in 2016, alleging that the doctor advanced negligently for unnecessary surgery. The Jurors awarded $586,000 for medical expenses, $1 million for pain and suffering to the victim's wife, and $2.5 million to his daughter. A former Virginia inmate won more than $1 million for improper treatment of his broken finger by a prison medical staff. According to the court papers, the plaintiff's finger bone got fractured in the prison recreation yard and the medical staff gave him only an ice pack, ignoring the X-rays that revealed he could need surgery. Following the incident, the plaintiff sued Armor Correctional Health Services Inc. after his release from Lunenburg Correctional Center in 2017. The plaintiff also stated that he had to wait for over 100 days before being taken to a specialist, who confirmed his hand had healed wrong. The plaintiff has even accused the three nurses of ignoring his medical condition. A total settlement of $1,058,761, with $700,000 of that amount in compensatory damages and over $300,000 in punitive damages was awarded to the plaintiff.