Our Successes

THE CASE RESULTS REPORTED BELOW DEPEND ON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE. THE CASE RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT A SIMILAR RESULT IN ANY FUTURE CASES WHICH MAY BE UNDERTAKEN BY PIERCE & THORNTON.

Wrongful Death/Medical Malpractice — Early Discharge from Hospital Leads to Patient’s Death, $1.5 million settlement for patient’s family after the patient, who began to experience respiratory difficulty after cardiac surgery, was discharged as stable. The patient died of cardiopulmonary arrest shortly after leaving the hospital.

Wrongful Death/Medical Malpractice — Failure to Diagnose and Treat Heart Attack Leads to Brain Injury and Death, $1.3 million settlement for family of patient who presented to the emergency department with signs and symptoms of a heart attack. Despite an EKG being performed, which was abnormal and indicated a heart attack in progress, the patient was not seen by a physician until after he had already arrested. The delay in treatment caused the patient to sustain a brain injury that ultimately lead to his death.

Medical Malpractice/Wrongful Death — Failure to Properly Treat Pulmonary Embolism, $1.7 million settlement for physician’s failure to properly diagnose and treat a pulmonary embolism in a hospitalized patient, resulting in the patient’s death.

Medical Malpractice/Wrongful Death — Failure to Place Patient on Coumadin, $1.7 million settlement for a surgeon’s failure to place his patient on blood thinners following knee surgery. Patient died from a pulmonary embolism one week after surgery.

Failure to Diagnose Melanoma/Wrongful Death, $5.8 million verdict. Dermatologist failed to remove a suspicious mole, resulting in metastatic melanoma and death of the patient.

Assault and Battery upon Minor, $1,600,000 in damages awarded against three individuals who severely beat a high school senior causing brain injury.

Failure to Diagnose Transected Popliteal Artery/Medical Negligence, $1,550,000 settlement for failure to diagnose transected popliteal artery during surgery, resulting in permanent nerve damage (including foot drop) to the right leg and foot of 15 year old patient.

Family awarded $1.5 million for missed melanoma, $1,500,000 medical malpractice jury verdict for wrongful death due to misdiagnosis of melanoma.

Failure to Diagnose Heart Infection/Wrongful Death, $1,200,000 Settlement. Physician failed to diagnose and treat endocarditis (heart infection), which resulted in patient’s death.

Medical Malpractice, $900,000 Settlement. Hospital administered Cipro to a patient whose chart reflected allergic reaction to the drug, resulting in burns to his body.

Construction Accident, $875,000 settlement. A master plumber was seriously injured by defective heavy equipment. Insurance company claimed that our client caused the accident.

Wrongful death of 12 year old girl, $850,000 settlement. Patient with history of cystic fibrosis underwent liver needle biopsy without the aid of ultrasound guidance. Surgeon tried four times unsuccessfully to obtain liver material before calling in a radiologist who performed ultrasound to mark location of the liver. Patient was brought back to hospital two days later due to pain and rapid breathing and found to have a punctured gallbladder. Patient died from sepsis following an emergency laparotomy.

Medical Malpractice, $737,500 settlement. Patient suffered a distal aortic and left iliac aneurysm while being worked up in ER for possible kidney stones. ER physician did not order CT scan or ultrasound which family maintained would have shown aneursym. Patient survived vascular surgery but died due to profound shock.

Breach of Fiduciary Duty/Trust, $725,000 settlement obtained against corporation for mismanagement of a family’s trust accounts.

Hospital Found Liable for Failure to Communicate Positive Pregnancy Test Prior to Gastric Bypass Procedure, $700,000 medical malpractice jury verdict for loss of fetus.

Medical Malpractice, $700,000 Settlement. Failure to treat urinary tract infection in emergency room setting, leading to sepsis and death of patient.

Auto Accident/Wrongful Death, $700,000 settlement. Represented the family of a 66-year-old woman who died after her car was struck from the rear by a tractor trailer in Ohio. Case was settled in mediation.

Wrongful death, $675,000 settlement obtained in the death of a 77 year old woman for failure to timely diagnose and treat an impending pulmonary embolism upon presentation to an emergency department.

Medical Malpractice, $675,000 settlement. Adult male with lupus polymyositis overlap syndrome with cutaneous disease developed an infection at an IV site and died while in hospital being treated for his underlying disease. Hospital argued that the origin of infection was unknown and that patient was disabled and had a very limited life expectancy due to his pre-existing condition.

Psychiatric Malpractice/Suicide, $550,000 medical malpractice settlement. 55 year old male committed suicide as a result of improper treatment by psychiatrist and psychiatric facility.

Medical Malpractice, $500,000 settlement. Elderly woman died as a result of a cardiac arrest. Patient’s family alleged that a stress test evaluated by a cardiologist just a few weeks prior to her death was clearly diagnostic of coronary artery disease and that a cardiac catheterization would have prevented the cardiac arrest. Case was settled in mediation.

Prenatal Care – Premature Birth, $475,000 medical malpractice settlement for premature delivery and death of fetus at 21 weeks gestation due to improper prenatal care.

Personal Injury, $450,000 Settlement. Warehouse worker struck a nail in a truck bed in an attempt to dislodge it. The nail “exploded” and struck the driver, who was standing nearby, causing a corneal laceration and damage to his iris and lens.

Medical Negligence at Naval Hospital, $425,000 settlement by United States. Military dependent wife underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystecomy. Surgeon inadvertently transected her common bile duct requiring a second surgery to repair the damage.

Auto Accident, $375,000 settlement. Client struck by defendant suffered multiple fractures and required rehabilitation. Insurance company argued that defendant’s light was green and our client had run a red light. Settled just prior to trial.

Denial of Insurance Benefits, $375,000 settlement by insurance company that had refused to pay client long term disability benefits. Insurance company claimed that our client was fully able to work and was not disabled as claimed.

Nursing Home Neglect, Wrongful Death., $350,000. Client’s mother developed a Stage IV decubitus ulcer of the sacrum and decubiti on both heels following a total knee replacement.

Anoxic Encephalopathy, $350,000 medical malpractice settlement by hospital and physician for failing to timely treat decedent’s allergic reaction leading to airway compromise.

Emergency Room Physician’s Negligence, $325,000 settlement for failure to diagnose and treat a bowel obstruction in an elderly woman.

Medical malpractice, $325,000 mediation award. Represented family of a 56 year old female suffering from AIDS with limited life expectancy who suffered an adverse reaction to a medication, Lamotrigine. Defense contended death was unrelated to medication and was caused by general systemic effects of AIDS.

Diabetes – Diminished Vision, $300,000 medical malpractice settlement due to improper monitoring of Type II diabetes mellitus resulting in loss of visual acuity.

Medical Malpractice, $275,000 settlement. Patient suffered nerve injury during a tumor re-excision and axillary lymph node dissection surgical procedure. Defendant surgeon argued injury was a well recognized associated risk of the procedure.

Auto Accident, Passenger Injuries, $245,000 settlement. Passenger involved in auto accident suffered injuries to his back. Client had a pre-existing back condition which had been asymptomatic prior to accident.

Personal injury, broken hip, $225,000 settlement. 82 year old woman was walking in the street in front of her daughter’s home in Virginia Beach when she was allegedly knocked to the ground by a neighbor’s mastiff. She testified that the dog made physical contact by jumping on her back, forcing her to the pavement, but eyewitnesses on behalf of the defendant testified that the dog never made contact with the woman. She sustained a femoral fracture that required surgery, short-term nursing home care and physical therapy.

Pharmaceutical Negligence, $190,000 settlement. Patient, a 58 year old male, was not told of abnormal test results when volunteering for clinical trial for a new osteoarthritis medication, resulting in a 5 day hospital stay for gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

Broken Hip, Hospital, $160,000 medical malpractice settlement. 77-year old male with a history of Parkinson’s fell and broke his hip. No sitter was present the evening of the fall. Hospital argued they had done nothing wrong.

Medical Negligence at military hospital, $150,000 settlement. 26 year old Navy veteran presented to military hospital with sudden onset of testicular swelling and pain radiating into the groin. ER physician called in urology consultant who failed to order ultrasound to rule out testicular torsion. Patient placed on antibiotics and sent home, only to return to ER several days later with continued pain and swelling. An ultrasound was performed, which revealed diminshed blood flow to the testicle requiring surgery to remove the testicle.

Drunk Driver Found Liable for Punitive Damages, Jury awarded $125,000 in punitives in case against drunk driver who injured city employee.

Auto Accident – Passenger Injuries, $100,000 settlement. Passenger involved in single car accident suffered fracture of her jaw.

Slip & Fall, $52,583 Verdict. Plaintiff slipped and fell in a parking garage elevator, sustaining fractures of her right wrist. Medical bills totaled $2,583.