The plaintiff, John Stanford, arrived at Robert Wood Johnson complaining of severe headaches for the past 5 days and being unsteady on his feet. A CT scan showed a colloid cyst on his brain. Instead of performing an MRI to further study the cyst as recommended by a RWJ radiologist, Dr. Imran Chaudhri prescribed pain medication and sent Mr. Stanford home.
Stanford returned the very next day, with pain from a worsening headache and an inability to move his right leg. Neurologist Manuel Vergara then concluded that Stanford was suffering from a conversion disorder (a form of psychotic episode). Vergara recommended that Stanford be discharged with instructions to have an MRI as an outpatient.
The following day, Stanford again returned to the same emergency room complaining of headaches and now reported that he had fallen 15 to 20 separate times since being sent home the previous day. Stanford was seen by another specialist who noted tremors. Finally he was admitted to the hospital by an emergency room physician. An MRI exam later that day showed an aneurysm in the area of the previously discovered cyst.
The doctors took no action until the next day when he underwent a cerebral angiogram that revealed a large aneurysm and subarachnoid hemorrhage. He was then transferred to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at New Brunswick and underwent surgery.
Stanford sustained brain damage from the subarachnoid hemorrhaging. He can only communicate through head nods and hand gestures, and cannot eat or breathe on his own. He now lives in a long-term care facility with 24-hour supervision.
Stanford sued Robert Wood Johnson Hospital for medical malpractice and 5 of the doctors who saw him during his multiple trips to the emergency room. He alleged that Chaudhri and Vergara failed to properly diagnose his condition and that another emergency room doctor failed to respond upon learning an exam showed an aneurysm in the area of the previously discovered cyst. Charles A. Cerussi of Cerussi & Gunn, P.C., Shrewsbury, NJ represented Stanford during the trial which lasted 15 days.
The jury found that 3 of the defendants were guilty of negligence which caused the plaintiff’s injuries. A $25,000,000 verdict was handed down in favor of Stanford. Stanford’s pre-existing condition was found partially to blame, which reduced the award by 1.45 million. Settling defendants further reduced the award further by 16,890,000.
Stanford was ultimately awarded a settlement of $7,173,273.38.
To read the entire account of the case and settlement, visit http://www.cerussilawfirm.com/
About Cerussi & Gunn:
Cerussi & Gunn, P.C., is a well-established medical malpractice law firm whose trial experience covers both the state and federal court systems of New Jersey and New York. The attorneys specialize in representing plaintiffs in cases of medical negligence, wrongful death, physician malpractice, emergency room error, nursing home malpractice and several other areas.
Complete information is available on their website, http://www.cerussilawfirm.com/
Contact:
Charles A. Cerussi, Esq.
Cerussi & Gunn, P.C.
212.841.0900 - NY
732.936.9920 – NJ
ccerussi@cerussilawfirm.com
Web: cerussilawfirm.com
