Orthopedics. DEFENDANT'S VERDICT Medical malpractice - Orthopedist negligence - Defendant orthopedist uses over-sized femoral head prosthesis during hip surgery and leaves piece of his surgical glove inside plaintiff - Multiple subsequent procedures - Infections - Fracture - Carpal tunnel with surgery due to consistent crutch use.

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VERDICTS BY CATEGORY

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

Nursing Home

$200,000 RECOVERY

Medical malpractice – Nursing home negligence –

Defendant facility allows plaintiff’s decedent to

develop pressure wounds which become infected

and cause death – Failure to reposition decedent

with proper frequency – Wrongful death of 83-

year-old female.

Allegheny County, PA

In this action for medical malpractice, the

decedent’s estate maintained that the defendant

facility provided substandard care to the plaintiff’s

decedent resulting in severe pressure wounds and

infection that caused the decedent’s death. The

defendant facility generally denied all allegations

of negligence and injury.

After suffering a fall at home on December 7, 2018,

the plaintiff’s decedent was taken to the hospital

where she remained until December 14, 2018. On

December 14, 2018, the plaintiff’s decedent was

transferred to the defendant rehabilitation center.

Uponadmissionshewasnotedtohavezeroskinis-

sues. On January 22, 2019, the decedent had

wounds on her left knee and right hip. By February

20th, the decedent was noted to have bilateral

gluteal fold wounds which required dressing. On Feb-

ruary 25, 2019, the decedent’s family requested that

shebesenttothehospitalforachangeinmental

status.

The decedent wasn’t taken to the hospital until Febru-

ary 27th when she developed a fever. At the hospital

she was diagnosed with an infection and her condi-

tion rapidly deteriorated. She suffered a stroke on

March 2nd, 2019. She was placed into hospice on

March 6, 2019, with a severely infected right hip and

sepsis. She died on April 2, 2019. The estate main-

tained that the defendant facility was negligent in

failing to conduct proper unnecessary assessments

and reassessments of the decedent due to her in-

creased risk of developing skin breakdown, decubitus

ulcers and or pressure sores, failing to reposition the

decedent with proper frequency, failing to take

proper and necessary measures to assure that exces-

sive and unnecessary moisture was not permitted to

be present upon the decedent skin and failing to en-

sure that the decedent was properly hydrated and

nourished to minimize the risk of skin breakdown.

The decedent was 83 years old when she died and is

survived by several nieces and nephews.

The parties settled their dispute for $200,000.

REFERENCE

TheEstateofPaulineConstanceMcClurebyMichael

Davis vs. Autumn Ridge Personal Living, LP dba Au-

tumn Ridge Assisted Living. Case no. GD-20-009381;

Judge Patrick Connelly, 02-11-22.

Attorney for plaintiff: Michael Megrey of Woomer &

Talarico, LLC in Pittsburgh, PA. Attorney for

defendant: Lucas Gergar of CAN ClaimPlus, Inc. in

Chicago, IL.

Orthopedics

DEFENDANT’S VERDICT

Medical malpractice – Orthopedist negligence –

Defendant orthopedist uses over-sized femoral

head prosthesis during hip surgery and leaves

piece of his surgical glove inside plaintiff –

Multiple subsequent procedures – Infections –

Fracture – Carpal tunnel with surgery due to

consistent crutch use.

Allegheny County, PA

The plaintiff in this medical malpractice action

maintained he’s suffered permanent injury to his

hip following a hip resurfacing procedure

performed by the defendant orthopedist. The

plaintiff maintains that the defendant used

improper components for the procedure causing a

fracture and necessitating subsequent procedures.

The defendant maintained that the procedure was

properly performed in accordance with all

standards of care.

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