Patient v. Hospital – Medical Malpractice Causing Personal Injury

The Walkup medical liability trial team obtained a jury verdict in the amount of $3,156,000 after a six-week trial on behalf of a 17-year-old boy who suffered ARDS, osteomyelitis, hip fusion, and chronic pain because of a failure to diagnose a soft tissue staph infection. The minor’s orthopedic surgeon failed on two separate occasions to conduct necessary diagnostic tests to identify a staph infection that had seeded in his thigh following a minor injury at football practice. Over time, the infection worsened, the child became septic, went into septic shock, developed ARDS and multisystem organ failure, and required 11 surgeries to debride the infected musculature of the left leg. Ultimately, the infection progressed to the bone, producing osteomyelitis and necrosis of the hip joint, requiring two fusion surgeries. Future medical care costs sought at trial exceeded $500,000.