Victory was had in the medical malpractice case involving an Ohio woman who suffered brain damage following a small outpatient surgery in 2007.
59 year old Sally Clawson went in for a simple 30 minute laser procedure on her back on March 2, 2007. Shortly after the surgery, Clawson began complaining of pain. At that point, she was given 20 mg of morphine followed almost immediately by 20 mg of Valium. According to court documents, this combination can cause severe respiratory problems.
After the double dosage of pain medication, Clawson began vomiting and was subsequently given even more medication. Shortly thereafter she became “nonresponsive to verbal stimuli” and during the next hour drifted in and out of consciousness. At that point she was intubated to allow her more oxygen into her lungs.
But it was already too late. Clawson had already suffered irreversible brain damage that could have been avoided, the lawsuit claims, had she been intubated a mere half hour earlier.
Clawson now lives with her son, and suffers seizures and difficulty walking. She cannot speak, requires assistance with eating and has such severe short-term memory loss that she gets lost if she leaves her house.
The jury awarded the massive verdict, specifying that it be allocated as follows:
- $4 million for future medical care
- $73,000 for past medical expenses
- $1.25 million for pain and suffering
- $182,000 for future lost wages
- $50,000 for past lost wages
- $500,000 for loss of ability to perform daily activities
- $250,000 for loss of consortium
The trial lasted two weeks and it took the jury only seven hours to reach a verdict.
Source: www.daytondailynews.com
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.