Jury Verdicts & Settlements

Latest jury verdicts, settlements, and legal outcome analysis

Jury Clears Doctor in Spinal Injection Meningitis Lawsuit

Diana Kuhlke sued pain management physician Joseph Savino, Pain Care of Oregon, LLC, and Crater Lake Surgery Center, LLC, alleging that a C7-T1 epidural steroid injection caused her to develop bacterial meningitis. Kuhlke claimed Savino failed to perform proper sterile preparation, used a neurotoxic antiseptic agent without confirming it was dry, failed to recognize a subarachnoid space violation, did not perform serial aspirations, and failed to respond to her post-procedural symptoms. She sought $520,000 in damages. The jury returned a defense verdict, finding no negligence.

Personal Injury

Jury Awards $450K in Indiana Medical Malpractice Case

A Marion County jury awarded $450,000 to a patient who sued her physician for medical negligence over care provided between 2017 and 2019. The court later capped the physician's personal liability at $400,000 under the Indiana Medical Malpractice Act, with the remaining $50,000 to be paid by the Indiana Patients Compensation Fund.

Wrongful Death

Jury Finds Doctor Negligent But No Damages Awarded

A San Bernardino County jury examined claims that a cardiologist and his medical group failed to properly diagnose and treat a 73-year-old patient's worsening heart condition, which the patient's family said led to his death just days after emergency surgery. While jurors found the cardiologist had been negligent in the care provided, they determined that this negligence was not a substantial factor in causing the patient's death, resulting in no damages being awarded to the family.

Personal Injury

Surgeon Found Negligent in Hip Surgery Artery Injury

A California jury found a surgeon negligent after a routine hip arthroscopy went wrong, causing a 4cm laceration to the patient's femoral artery during surgery. The resulting blood loss required emergency vascular reconstruction and left the patient with permanent femoral nerve damage, loss of feeling above the knee, and confinement to a wheelchair. After a two-week trial, the jury awarded $2 million in damages, later adjusted to $1.536 million under California's cap on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases.

Personal Injury

Malpractice Jury Verdict: $7.5M for Botched Penile Surgery

This medical malpractice action arose from a severely botched three-piece inflatable penile prosthesis procedure performed at El Camino Hospital. A patient with a history of bladder cancer underwent the operation to address erectile dysfunction, but the treating urologist incorrectly punctured his colon and embedded the device reservoir directly inside the organ. The catastrophic error necessitated emergency surgery, a prolonged hospital stay, and the placement of a colostomy bag. Furthermore, during his initial recovery, medical professionals failed to identify or communicate a malignant stomach tumor visible on a routine CT scan. By the time the cancer was discovered six months later by outside specialists, it had metastasized to the liver and advanced to stage four. Following deliberations, a Santa Clara County jury found the urologist negligent, awarding the Plaintiff $50,000 in economic damages and $7.5 million in noneconomic damages.

Negligence

Dental Malpractice Lawsuit Results in Defense Verdict

A Los Angeles County jury returned a defense verdict in a dental malpractice lawsuit involving an extensive full-mouth reconstruction. The Plaintiff, Rinda Hall, alleged that a multi-year restorative treatment plan involving bone grafting, implants, crowns, and bridges was executed negligently, causing her crowns to break, her jaw alignment to fail, and her remaining teeth to be destroyed. The defense countered that the treatments met all professional standards, and that the patient's complications stemmed from the natural progression of her pre-existing dental condition. Ultimately, the jury determined that the treating dentist was not negligent, leading the Court to dismiss the complaint with prejudice and order the Plaintiff to pay all associated trial jury fees.

Personal Injury

Connecticut Jury Clears Hospital in Malpractice Suit

An elective laparoscopic left hepatectomy to remove a benign liver growth turned into an emergency open surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital when a patient suffered severe abdominal bleeding and a persistent bile leak. The surgical team discovered a torn splenic capsule, which forced them to perform an immediate, unplanned splenectomy. The Plaintiff alleged that the surgeons used excessive traction and failed to secure proper informed consent. However, the defense maintained that the complications were inherent risks of a complex operation rather than deviations from the medical standard of care. A Connecticut jury agreed with the defense, returning a complete defense verdict.

Personal Injury

Bilateral Vein Ablation Medical Malpractice Jury Verdict

A New Haven Superior Court jury returned a defense verdict in a medical malpractice lawsuit brought by a patient who alleged she developed permanent lower extremity injuries following bilateral vein procedures. The patient underwent radiofrequency ablations of her right and left greater and lesser saphenous veins, followed by multiple rounds of chemical foam sclerotherapy to treat chronic varicose veins. She claimed the treatments were unnecessary and caused bilateral thrombophlebitis, chronic nerve pain, permanent swelling, and severe lymphedema. The defense maintained that the medical management strictly adhered to acceptable vascular surgery standards and that the treatments were clinically indicated based on her severe superficial venous insufficiency. The jury found in favor of the medical providers, and the Court entered a final judgment awarding no damages.

Personal Injury

$10 Million Verdict for Paralysis After Medical Negligence

A Multnomah County jury awarded $10 million to a man and his wife after finding multiple healthcare providers negligent in failing to diagnose a spinal epidural abscess. John Douglas Cox underwent surgery for a spinal cord stimulator to manage chronic back pain. Following the procedure, he developed an infection that went unrecognized by medical staff at both Kaiser and PeaceHealth facilities despite clear neurological red flags. By the time emergency surgery was performed to remove the infected tissue, the pressure on his spinal cord had caused permanent paralysis from the chest down. The jury held two physicians and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals accountable for the life-altering injury.