Medical Malpractice Case Results

The following are just some of the case results achieved by the Atlanta, Georgia medical malpractice attorneys at Ragland Law Firm, LLC. Learn more about the law firm’s specialty practice in the area of Medical Malpractice litigation.

Georgia Supreme Court decision/ confidential lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / failure to provide vaccines / overwhelming post-splenectomy infection / quadruple amputation

A primary care doctor, seven OB-GYN physicians, and their respective practice groups agreed to a lump sum settlement following a unanimous decision by the Georgia Supreme Court in Schramm v. Lyon, 285 Ga. 72 (2009). This appellate victory and subsequent settlement was achieved on behalf of a wife and mother of three young children who retained attorney Daniel Ragland after she suffered an overwhelming post-splenectomy infection (OPSI) and resulting amputation of all four of her limbs in September 2004. A malpractice lawsuit was filed in 2006 alleging that the Defendants negligently failed to give numerous vaccines needed by asplenic patients for prevention of OPSI despite knowing that the Plainiff had lost her spleen in a car accident several years earlier. Defense attorneys convinced the trial judge to dismiss the case based upon Georgia’s five year medical malpractice statute of repose, but Ragland Law Firm, LLC successfully appealed that unfavorable ruling first to the Georgia Court of Appeals and then to the Georgia Supreme Court. Both appellate courts ruled that the Plaintiff had viable claims against the physician Defendants for their failure to protect their patient against OPSI. The parties agreed to keep that the amount of settlement confidential.

$7 million (present value) structured settlement / medical malpractice / pharmaceutical liability / medication error / stroke / catastrophic injuries

Pretrial mediation conducted shortly before trial resulted in the structured settlement of a lawsuit involving claims of medical and pharmacy malpractice on behalf of the plaintiff who suffered a stroke caused by co-administration of two contra-indicated prescriptions drugs. Under terms of the structured settlement, the spouse of the stroke victim will receive a lump sum amount plus lifetime monthly benefits totaling more than $10 million.

$4 million (present value) structured settlement / medical malpractice / failure to diagnose spinal epidural abscess / quadriplegia

After years of litigation, settlement was reached in a malpractice lawsuit involving mismanagement of a spinal epidural abscess which resulted in the Plaintiff’s incomplete quadriplegia. The Plaintiff will receive an upfront lump sum amount plus lifetime benefits totaling nearly $6 million.

$3.25 million dollar settlement/Medical Malpractice/Failure to anticoagulate patient with mechanical heart valve during elective surgical procedure.

$3 million judgment / medical malpractice / radiology error / delayed diagnosis of lung cancer / wrongful death

A judgment of $3 million was obtained against a radiologist (and his corporate employers) who failed to properly read a chest x-ray and failed to note the presence of a mass in the patient’s lung which later proved to be malignant. Because of the delayed diagnosis, the patient died of lung cancer prompting the spouse to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit. Part of the judgment has been collected, and efforts to recover the unpaid balance are ongoing.

$1.25 million dollar settlement / failure to diagnose a subperiosteal abscess resulting in patient’s death.

$1.2 million dollar settlement / medical malpractice / uro-gynecology / failure post-operatively to recognize a catastrophic ureteral injury resulting in permanent loss of bladder function.

$1.2 million (present value) structured settlement / medical malpractice / wrongful death / failure to diagnose meningitis

Several physicians agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit alleging they had negligently failed to timely diagnosis crytococcal meningitis which resulted in the death of the Plaintiff’s husband.

$1.1 million (present value) structured settlement / medical malpractice / vicarious liability / anesthesia errors

At a pretrial mediation, a hospital agreed to settle claims that mistakes in handling a patient’s recovery from anesthesia after surgery led to a mother’s wrongful death. The structured settlement will pay future benefits of nearly $2 million to the patient’s children whose malpractice lawsuit alleged that extubation at the conclusion of surgery was improperly performed.

$1,000,000 Settlement / Medical Malpractice / Retained foreign object (elective hysterectomy) case against hospital, nurses, and physicians.

$900,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / failure to properly treat suicidal patient

The State of Georgia and treating psychiatrist agreed to settle a malpractice lawsuit brought on behalf of a severely injured psychiatric patient who attempted suicide after receiving inadequate psychiatric treatment and being prematurely released from state mental health facilities.

$850,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / vicarious liability / wrongful death / failure to diagnose subdural infection

A hospital agreed to settle a malpractice lawsuit involving the wrongful death of an adult who died because a physician in the Emergency Room failed to diagnose and treat a subdural empyema.

$825,000 settlement / medical malpractice / failure to properly read and interpret cytology slides.

Settlement against a large national laboratory for failing to properly interpret cytology slides resulting in the delayed diagnosis of cervical cancer.

$800,000 settlement against hospital and physicians / failure to diagnose a bowel perforation after laparoscopy resulting in a patient’s death

$750,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / vicarious liability / wrongful death / failure to treat head injury

Early in discovery, a hospital agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit involving a young adult who died within 2 days of arriving at the Emergency Room with a closed head injury. The lawsuit alleged that a subdural hematoma shown on a CT scan was not properly monitored or treated by trauma and neurosurgery residents and attending physicians after the patient was admitted to the ICU.

$675,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / vicarious liability / wrongful death / failure to treat and diagnose acute heart failure

A Georgia hospital, an ER physician, and a cardiologist agreed to settle a malpractice lawsuit involving the cardiac-related death of a patient who was negligently discharged from the Emergency Room despite clinical signs of acute coronary conditions which later caused the patient’s death.

$650,000 settlement /medical malpractice/failure to timely recognize facial nerve injury during a stapedectomy.

$600,000 (present value) structured settlement / cerebal palsy / failure to diagnose meningitis

A pediatrician agreed to settle a malpractice lawsuit alleging that his failure to timely diagnose and properly treat meningitis led to a child’s cerebral palsy. The structured settlement will pay lifetime benefits to the child likely in excess of $1 million.

$550,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / failure to treat post operative complications / permanent eye injuries and vision loss

A general surgeon who failed to diagnose and treat an orbital hematoma following a patient’s sinus surgery agreed to settle a malpractice lawsuit alleging that mismanagement of the post-operative complications led to permanent eye injuries and vision loss.

$500,000 Settlement / Medical Malpractice / Laproscopic Cholycystectomy-surgical error-cut common bile duct and resulting injuries.

$475,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / wrongful death of unborn child / failure to treat diabetes

During mediation, a pretrial settlement was reached in a malpractice lawsuit involving the wrongful death of a fetus because hospital nurses negligently failed to administer insulin to a diabetic pregnant patient.

$470,000 (present value) structured settlement / medical malpractice / child wrongful death / failure to treat bowel obstruction

Pretrial mediation resulted in the structured settlement of a wrongful death lawsuit against a pediatrician who failed to properly treat a child’s bowel obstruction. Under the terms of the structured settlement, the parents will receive over $700,000 in present and future payments.

$400,000 (present value) structured settlement / medical malpractice / wrongful death / failure to diagnose impending heart attack

At mediation, a primary care physician and cardiologist agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit involving their failure to diagnose and treat acute coronary conditions that led to a patient’s heart attack and death. The decedent’s spouse will receive a lump sum amount plus future periodic payments totaling more than $600,000.

$365,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / negligent hernia surgery

An Atlanta general surgeon agreed to settle a malpractice lawsuit after an improperly performed hernia surgery resulted in various complications.

$362,500 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / negligent sinus surgery / blindness

An ENT surgeon agreed to settle a malpractice lawsuit filed by a patient who suffered blindness following a negligently performed endoscopic sinus surgery.

$360,000 lump sum settlements / medical malpractice / negligent cosmetic surgery

A plastic surgeon agreed to settle two malpractice lawsuits involving negligent cosmetic procedures and allegations that he had improper sexual contact with the female Plaintiffs while serving as their doctor.

$350,000 settlement/medical malpractice/failure to diagnose pneumonia. Settlement against primary care physician for failing to timely diagnose community acquired pneumonia (CAD).

$300,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / medication error / internal bleeding and hospitalization

Mediation achieved settlement of a malpractice lawsuit against an internist who wrote and a pharmacy that filled a prescription for an NSAID medication that was contra-indicated for an elderly patient resulting in internal bleeding and hospitalization.

$300,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / wrongful death / failure to diagnose evolving myocardial infarction

A hospital agreed to settle a malpractice lawsuit involving an older man who was discharged from the Emergency Room with an undiagnosed evolving myocardial infarction which caused his death several hours later.

$275,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / negligent gall bladder surgery

Mediation resulted in the pretrial settlement of a malpractice lawsuit against a surgeon who caused a bile duct injury during laparoscopic gall bladder removal.

$275,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / failure to diagnose and treat compartment syndrome / permanent hand injuries

Immediately after a malpractice lawsuit was filed, an orthopaedist requested mediation where he agreed to settle with a patient whose compartment syndrome following fracture of her wrist was not timely diagnosed or treated thereby causing permanent disabilities to her hand.

$275,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / negligent gall bladder surgery

Mediation resulted in the pretrial settlement of a malpractice lawsuit against a surgeon who caused a bile duct injury during laparoscopic gall bladder removal.

$240,000 (present value) structured settlement / obstetrical malpractice / Erbs Palsy birth injury due to shoulder dystocia

OB-GYN physicians agreed to settle a malpractice lawsuit alleging that their failure to recommend a cesarean section led to a shoulder dystocia complication during labor and resulting permanent Erbs Palsy injury to the baby during vaginal delivery.

$230,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / pharmaceutical liability / medication error / stroke

During mediation, a physician and pharmacy agreed to settle a malpractice lawsuit alleging that ACE inhibitor medication errors resulted in a stroke.

$225,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / failure to diagnose eye infection

Pretrial settlement of malpractice lawsuit was reached with an optometrist who failed to diagnose an eye infection which damaged the patient’s cornea and led to a corneal transplant.

$200,000 Settlement / Medical Malpractice / wound care / pressure sore case against Hospital and its nursing staff.

$200,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / surgical error

An ENT surgeon agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by a patient who suffered excessive bleeding and other post operative complications because the surgeon performed elective sinus surgery despite abnormal results on pre-operative blood tests.

$200,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / wrongful death / choking on food / Federal Tort Claim Act

Prior to the filing of a lawsuit, the federal government agreed to settle a wrongful death claim involving an elderly veteran hospital patient who choked on steak negligently given to him despite his known dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and physician orders that he have a pureed diet only.

$190,000 (present value) structured settlement / medical malpractice / mismanagement of shoulder dystocia / Erbs Palsy birth injury

Lawsuit claiming that negligent response to a shoulder dystocia led to the brachial plexus injury suffered by the Plaintiff’s child during a vaginal delivery was settled shortly before trial. A lum sum amount plus future payments to be made following the child’s eighteenth birthday will total more than $300,000.

$190,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / failure to diagnose post operative complication / toe amputation

Mediation produced a pretrial settlement of a malpractice lawsuit against a podiatrist who failed to recognize complications following a bunionectomy which led to a toe amputation.

$150,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / vicarious liability / retained foreign object / intra-abdominal infection

On the eve of trial, a hospital agreed to settle a malpractice lawsuit which claimed that errors by operating room nurses caused a laparotomy sponge to be retained after a cesarean section.

$150,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / improper orthopaedic surgery

During mediation, an orthopaedist and his practice group agreed to settle a malpractice lawsuit involving negligent performance of sacroiliac joint surgery and resulting hip disability.

$125,000 settlement / medical malpractice / wrongful death / failure to prevent a fall in a hospital.

Settlement against a hospital in South Georgia for failing to prevent a fall in a 93 year old patient who fell and exsanguinated from a dialysis catheter.

$125,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / improperly performed partial colectomy

During mediation, a general surgeon in agreed to settle a malpractice lawsuit involving the surgical removal of the wrong part of a patient’s colon.

$115,000 lump sum settlement / medical malpractice / failure to diagnose complications from spinal surgery / partial paralysis

An orthopaedic surgeon agreed to settle a malpractice lawsuit involving failure to diagnose and treat complications after spinal surgery and resulting spinal cord injury.

As these case results demonstrate, the Atlanta trial attorneys at Ragland Law Firm, LLC have considerable experience in the area of medical malpractice litigation. The firm’s law office is located near Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody, Georgia and very convenient for residents in Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Smyrna, Tucker, Decatur, Duluth and Johns Creek, Georgia. The medical malpractice lawyers at Ragland Law Firm, LLC have actually handled malpractice lawsuits in many areas of Georgia including Atlanta, Marietta, Jonesboro, Lawrenceville, Athens, Augusta, Rome, Dalton, Toccoa, LaGrange and Columbus, Georgia. They are willing to pursue a malpractice claim or lawsuit against a negligent hospital or physician anywhere in Georgia. Contact us if you want to discuss your potential case or if you have questions about Georgia medical malpractice law. We are willing to evaluate the merits of any potential medical malpractice case at no charge.