Jury Faults Hospital In NY Medical Malpractice Verdict; Judge Upholds $62M Award
A Supreme Court judge has upheld a NY medical malpractice verdict awarding $62 million to a single mother who lost both legs and much of her hearing as a result of a routine gynecological procedure.
On October 6, 2009, Stacey Galette, a medical technician, was admitted to Winthrop University Hospital on Long Island for the laparoscopic removal of a fallopian tube that contained an ectopic pregnancy, which is a pregnancy that develops outside of the mother’s uterus.
After the surgery had been completed, Ms. Galette was discharged but returned two days later complaining of severe abdominal pain. Exploratory surgery discovered a perforation of Galette’s sigmoid colon which led to an infection, sepsis and septic shock.
The control of her resulting sepsis required aggressive medication which caused a collapse of veins in her legs resulting in gangrene. Galette spent 73 days in the intensive care unit, went into cardiac arrest three times, lost her hearing as a side effect of powerful antibiotics, underwent a colostomy and skin grafts, and ultimately lost both her legs below the knee.Her hospitalization lasted 102 days, and Galette had to be fitted with prosthetic limbs and a colostomy device. A lengthy rehabilitation followed, and Galette ultimately filed suit against Winthrop University Hospital and the gynecologists and surgeons involved.
Hospital attorneys claim that they saved plaintiff’s life
Despite the hospital counsel’s attempt to deflect blame for the botched procedure, Galette’s New York medical malpractice lawyers successfully argued that the hospital and physicians were to blame for Galette’s horrendous injuries.
The attorneys for the hospital and the physician defendants argued that the verdict is not supported by the evidence. They told the jury, “Ms. Galette is alive today because the health care providers at Winthrop University Hospital listened to her complaints … and made adjustments to her treatment.”
Supreme Court Justice Ann Pfau disagreed. “The jury’s verdict is supported by the evidence, both with respect to defendant’s liability and with respect to (Galette’s) devastating physical injuries and her economic damages,” Pfau wrote in her decision.
According to Ms. Galette’s family, the surgery has resulted in a life of “endless pain” and “total disability” for Galette, who also went through a divorce shortly after her medical mishap. “She has no life,” said the woman’s mother, Judith Romulus. “We see her every day struggle through life. We are basically raising her daughter, who is 13 and really needs her mom at this age.”
New York medical malpractice lawyers can help
Hospital malpractice accounts for more deaths each year than AIDS, auto accidents, and breast cancer combined. Ms. Galette’s attorneys successfully contended that not only were the individual physicians named in her suit responsible for her injuries, so was the hospital itself. Galette was awarded a total of $62 million for past and future medical expenses, past pain and suffering, and future pain and suffering.
If you or someone you love has suffered injuries resulting from medical malpractice in New York, you may be entitled to monetary damages for your past and future medical expenses, lost income, pain, suffering and other intangible losses. In the majority of cases, victims have up to two years to file a complaint for hospital malpractice in New York. However, it is always best to contact New York medical malpractice lawyers immediately regarding your specific situation.
To discuss your legal rights and options with a medical malpractice attorney, contact the Sanders Firm for a complimentary case evaluation. Our veteran team of attorneys can answer all your questions and help you outline your best course of action for securing compensation. Call toll-free 1.800.FAIR.PLAY. Resources
- Verdict Search, Docs Overlooked Damage to Colon, Suit Alleged, http://verdictsearch.com/verdict/docs-overlooked-damage-of-patients-colon-suit-alleged/
- NY Daily News, Woman Lost Legs Due to LI Hospital’s Negligence, Lawsuit Says, http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/woman-lost-legs-due-hospital-negligence-jury-hears-article-1.1506707
