Florida gastric bypass patient wins $178 million in lawsuit
Last week, a jury in Northeast Florida awarded a gastric bypass patient $168 million in a lawsuit filed against the biggest for-profit hospital operator in the U.S.–HCA Holdings Inc. The plaintiff had surgery at one of HCA’s hospitals, Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, in 2007.
The jury determined that the hospital and the doctor who performed the plaintiff’s surgery were negligent in failing to diagnose or treat complications experienced by the plaintiff after his gastric bypass procedure in a timely manner. In addition, the jury found that the hospital had made fraudulent misrepresentations about the surgeon and his qualifications.
The patient became confined to a wheel chair and lost his hearing and vision as a result of the delays in diagnosis and treatment. On Monday, the jury added $10 million in punitive damages to the patient’s award.
Contact the Fort Lauderdale medical malpractice lawyers of Winston, Clark & Wigland by calling 800-475-4206, if you or someone you love has been the victim of medical negligence.
