Case Background
Rebecca Lee filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Dr. Bruce W. Van Natta in Marion Superior Court. The dispute arose from treatment Van Natta provided to Lee between November 2017 and 2019. Before Lee could file her lawsuit, Indiana law required her to first submit a proposed complaint to a medical review panel. She filed that proposed complaint on November 22, 2019, and received the panel's opinion on or about November 10, 2021. She then filed her formal complaint in Marion Superior Court on February 7, 2022, and demanded a jury trial. Van Natta filed his answer on March 3, 2022. He denied the allegations and raised several defenses, including a reference to the medical review panel's finding that the evidence did not support a conclusion that he had failed to meet the applicable standard of care. The case proceeded through litigation and went to trial in September 2025.
Cause
Lee sued Van Natta for medical negligence. She said Van Natta treated her from November 2017 through 2019 and that his care was negligent.
Injury
The complaint stated that Lee suffered an injury and was damaged as a direct and proximate result of Van Natta's negligence.
Damages Sought
Lee asked the Court to award her an amount that would fully and fairly compensate her for her injuries and damages, along with the costs of the action.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
Legal Representation
Plaintiff(s): Rebecca L. Lee
· Counsel for Plaintiff(s): Joseph N. Williams
Defendant(s): Bruce W. Van Natta, M.D.
· Counsel for Defendant(s): Joshua W. Davis | Nicholas J. Davis
Key Arguments by Counsel
Claims
Lee argued that Van Natta acted negligently while he treated her between November 2017 and 2019. She said this negligence directly caused her injury and resulting damages. She asked the Court to enter judgment in her favor and award her compensation along with the costs of the case.
Defense
Van Natta denied that he acted negligently toward Lee. In his answer, he admitted that he had previously treated her but denied the remaining allegations. He raised several defenses. He argued that the complaint failed to state a valid claim against him. He said Lee's claims might be barred, in whole or in part, by the statute of limitations. He claimed that Lee's own acts or negligence may have caused or contributed to her injuries, raising contributory and comparative negligence. He argued that people or entities outside his control may have caused her injuries through superseding or intervening acts. He said Lee failed to mitigate her damages. He invoked the defenses and damage caps available to health care providers under the Indiana Medical Malpractice Act. He also pointed to the medical review panel's finding, made under Indiana Code Section 34-18-10-22, that the evidence did not support a conclusion that he failed to comply with the applicable standard of care and that his conduct was not a factor in Lee's alleged injuries. He reserved the right to raise additional defenses as discovery proceeded.
Jury Verdict
The case went to trial in Marion Superior Court from September 8 through September 12, 2025. On September 12, 2025, the jury decided in favor of Lee and against Van Natta, setting her damages at $450,000. Cody Steinhardt served as the presiding juror and signed the verdict form, along with an attestation that the alternate juror did not participate in deliberations.
On September 24, 2025, the Court entered a judgment order on the jury's verdict. The order stated that the $450,000 award would not be reduced. Under the Indiana Medical Malpractice Act, the order limited Van Natta's personal liability to $400,000 of the total award, plus 8% interest per year until paid. The order directed that the remaining $50,000 be paid by the Indiana Patients Compensation Fund. A note on the order explained that a health care provider is not liable for amounts exceeding $400,000 based on the date the alleged malpractice occurred, and that any amount due above $400,000 must be paid from the patients' compensation fund under Indiana Code Section 34-18-14-3(c).
