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In the past few years, we’ve seen some historic medical malpractice verdicts across Pennsylvania, especially in counties which have been historically very conservative, such as Montgomery County and Delaware County. Last month, a Montgomery County jury returned a $12 million verdict against a local hospital. This is one of the largest medical malpractice verdicts in Montco’s recent history. The largest verdict, $20 million, occurred 10 years ago.
Delaware County juries have similarly returned high amount verdicts in medical malpractice cases. Last year, a Delco jury awarded $12 million to a man who became paralyzed after an infection was allegedly misdiagnosed. Also in 2015, another Delco jury awarded $7 million in a stroke misdiagnosis case. These two cases are some of the highest medical malpractice verdict amounts in Delco history.
These are the types of verdicts typically seen in Philadelphia. Earlier this year, a Philadelphia jury returned a $40+ million verdict in a hospital malpractice case involving allegations of severe brain injury after surgery.
In the recent case in Montgomery County, the plaintiff claimed she became brain damaged after a minor tonsil surgery. Her lawyers alleged that after the 15 minute surgery, her breathing tube was removed prematurely, before she was able to breathe on her own. This resulted in brain damage. The hospital argued that the brain damage was due to a reaction to medication. The jury sided with the patient and awarded her $12 million.
There are some interesting aspects of this recent case in Montgomery County. It and other recent high verdict cases show that juries are increasingly sympathetic in medical malpractice cases. This is despite the fact that the number of Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawsuits have declined over the past decade. According to recent info released by Pennsylvania courts, medical and hospital malpractice lawsuits in PA have decreased by nearly 50% over the past 15 years or so.
In addition, Montgomery County bucks the trend. At a time when most PA counties have seen a decline in the number of medical malpractice case filings, Montgomery County, which includes Norristown, Abington and Lower/Upper Merion, has seen an increase. The recent jury verdict certainly proves that justice is possible for patients who’ve been injured due to medical mistakes.
Medical & Hospital Malpractice in Pennsylvania – Legal Help for Patients
LBK is a Philadelphia law firm which focuses exclusively on injury and accident cases including hospital malpractice and medical malpractice. Our lawyers have handled a variety of medical negligence cases including hospital errors, surgical mistakes and failure to diagnose cases.
If you believe you or a family member have a valid medical malpractice case, please contact our office for a free consultation. (866) 641-0806
**This website does not provide legal advice. Every case is unique and it is crucial to get a qualified, expert legal opinion prior to making any decisions about your case. See the full disclaimer at the bottom of this page.
