Washington Cosmetic Clinic To Pay $1.8 Million in Wrongful Death Suit

Sono Bello Body Contour Center, a cosmetic clinic in Bellevue, Washington, has agreed to pay $1.8 million to the family of a bride-to-be who went to the clinic for liposuction in May 2009 and died hours later.  The 28-year-old went to the clinic for the procedure then checked into a nearby hotel to recover.  The hotel maids found the woman’s body the next morning.  The King County Medical Examiner ruled that she died from “acute lidocaine intoxication.”

Lidocaine is a nerve blocker that is pumped into the body to suppress pain during liposuction. When a representative from the Society of Plastic Surgeons was asked by KING 5 News to interpret the levels of lidocaine found, she said they were “really, really high, stratospheric high.”

In the settlement, neither Sono Bello nor the doctor admitted any wrongdoing. The family’s lawyer said that Sono Bello offered a higher, […]

San Diego Man Awarded $2.4 Million in Asbestos Exposure Lawsuit

A San Diego Navy Veteran who was diagnosed in 2010 with mesothelioma, an asbestos-caused cancer, was awarded $2.4 million in damages after his disease was found to be attributed to his work in ship boiler rooms.

The lawsuit, filed against John Crane, Inc., claimed the plaintiff was exposed to asbestos while serving in the Navy from 1961 to 1971 in his work in the maintenance and repair of boilers, pumps and valves.  The suit claimed John Crane made some of the asbestos-containing packing material and gaskets in the equipment.

The total damages of about $2.4 million include nearly $1.4 million in noneconomic damages and $450,000 for loss of consortium.  The jury found John Crane five percent liable, the Navy and insulation companies 57 percent at fault, some manufacturers and suppliers 37 percent at fault.  […]

Iowa to Pay $875K After Hospital Error Resulted in Amputation of Leg

The Des Moines Register reports that the state of Iowa has settled a lawsuit filed against the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics after a young girl went to the hospital in 2007 for a stomach surgery, and had to have her leg amputated after she developed compartment syndrome.

The state will pay $875,000 to the now 16-year-old girl who had her right leg amputated and her left leg now suffers a permanent foot drop.  The suit alleged that the girl’s legs were elevated for over 10 hours causing increased pressure to build in her leg muscle compartments, leading to muscle and nerve damage.

The hospital is overseen by the Iowa Board of Regents and the State Appeals Board had to approve the settlement.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a form of medical negligence, you may have a medical malpractice claim.  […]

Family of WVa Nursing Home Resident Who Received Poor Care Awarded $91.5 Million

The family of an elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and several other conditions, received $91.5 million in damages from a Charleston, West Virginia nursing home.  The elderly woman was a patient for just three weeks at Heartland of Charleston nursing home where the workers failed to feed and care for her leading to her death just one day after transferring to another facility.

The lawsuit alleged that while living with her son, the woman’s health had improved to where she could walk, speak and recognize family members. However, when she was checked into Heartland the staff confined the woman to a wheelchair, labeling her a fall risk.

The family’s lawyer argued that Heartland did not have enough staff to properly care for the woman and the other patients.  Some former Heartland workers testified properly caring for all of the residents was impossible. […]

Lawsuit Settles for $650K After Sponge Left in Patient

The Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida paid $650,000 to settle a lawsuit against a man with a “retained foreign object and medication error.”  The man also reached a confidential settlement against two radiologists.

The now 68-year-old man was admitted to the hospital in October 2009 to undergo surgery for diverticulitis.  His recovery was slow, and after five months he was in more pain than prior to his surgery.  He went back to the doctor and had several X-rays and CT scans before the surgeon and gastrointestinal doctor found a surgical sponge in his stomach that had been left behind during surgery.

The man declined further treatment at Good Samaritan and went to another hospital to have the sponge removed and a portion of his intestines, due to perforation.  The man also received an incorrect dosage of blood pressure medicine, however, he did not have any lasting issues over that error. […]