We represented the estate of a man who tragically died from complications following surgery on his leg. After his procedure, the man experienced extreme pain and swelling around the surgery sites, and a spike in his temperature. His sister and her husband immediately took him to see his doctor, who assured him that there was nothing to worry about. His symptoms continued to worsen, but the doctor continued to ignore the clear warning signs, placing his foot in a cast even though the surgical incisions were too moist, red, and swollen. Five days after the casting, our client awoke complaining of extreme pain. He collapsed soon thereafter and became unresponsive and unconscious. After being transported to the hospital, CPR failed to revive him and he passed away. The autopsy report stated that the cause of death was deep vein thrombosis. The doctor contended that he had treated his patient properly and there was no sign of deep vein thrombosis during any of his follow-up visits.

The case was difficult because the decedent was an adult only survived by his sister. Accordingly, the only damages available were the pain and suffering of the adult sister as a result of the loss of her brother. However, through retaining expert witness testimony, we were able to establish the doctor’s negligence, and reached a $150,000 resolution to the matter.