Woman Gets $47M In Medical Malpractice Suit

Woman Gets $47M In Medical Malpractice Suit

Introduction

A woman with "locked-in syndrome" was granted a $47 million decision in a medical malpractice case this week, though her lawyer claimed she will likely only receive a portion of the money.

The plaintiff claimed in a complaint filed in 2020 that doctors at MountainView Hospital and Mountain's Edge Hospital neglected to effectively treat her low salt levels when she was hospitalized as a consequence of a fall. When physicians increased her sodium levels too soon, she now has Locked-in syndrome, which means her brain is still working but she can't move and can only communicate by blinking.

On Tuesday, at the conclusion of a five-week trial, a jury awarded the lady $47 million, $35 million of which was for noneconomic damages for pain and suffering. Nevertheless, due to a Nevada restriction on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice claims, the $35 million will be reduced to $350,000, according to the plaintiff's counsel.

The initial case included 11 defendants, including the two hospitals and other physicians and nurses. Following many agreements, just three defendants remained in court throughout the trial: MountainView Hospital, Dr. Ejo John, and a doctor.

Of the three remaining defendants, the jury determined the accused doctor to be 35% guilty of the woman's injuries. The remaining 65 percent of responsibility was assigned to already convicted criminals. According to the plaintiff's counsel, the doctor is the only defendant who will be required to pay any monetary damages as a result of the ruling.