Medical malpractice caused a woman’s eyelids to be damaged in surgery to remove the puffiness of her eyelids.
The Plaintiff, a woman aged 70 years, saw a plastic surgeon (defendant) to have the “puffiness” removed from her eyelids. Defendant recommended a blepharoplasty (a surgical procedure to remove fat from the eyelids).
During this surgery, defendant severed the tendon in one eye and the muscle in the other eye. When she awakened from surgery, plaintiff was unable to open either eye.
The plaintiff saw an ophthalmic plastic surgeon to restore the function to her eyelids. This doctor performed surgery intended to repair the damage sustained in the first procedure. The procedure restored function to plaintiff’s left eyelid. He was unable to repair the right eyelid with sufficient function to raise her eyelid above the pupil. This left plaintiff unable to see out of her right eye without raising the eyelid with her finger or hand. Plaintiff testified that on occasion, when necessary, she taped her eyelid open.
During trial, the defendant denied negligence. Defendant claimed that after a successful surgery he inspected the woman’s eyelids. He claimed that at this time he discovered that the function of the eyelids was not normal. However, plaintiff had no trouble seeing or opening and closing either eyelid prior to the procedure.
During closing, plaintiff’s attorney asked for a judgment of $800,000. Prior to the trial, plaintiff’s demand was for $500,000. The offer from the defendant’s insurance company was for $250,000. The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff and awarded $800,000 in damages.
Sometimes, things go wrong during surgery. Surgeons occasionally make mistakes or become negligent. In these cases of medical malpractice, patients are often harmed – sometimes irreparably. In this case, the defendant plastic surgeon denied responsibility for the harm to the patient’s eyelids. During trial the jury believed that defendant was responsible for the harm done to the plaintiff. They agreed with plaintiff’s attorney’s request for an $800,000 judgment.
Some medical malpractice cases seem simple and straightforward; others are quite complex. In a medical malpractice case, each patient has been harmed in some way.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by the error or negligence of a medical practitioner, and through no fault of your own, it may be possible to bring suit to recover damages for your hurts and harms. When you have been so injured, call Bettina Altizer. She and her team at Altizer Law, P.C., have the experience to represent you effectively. She is known for her compassion and her fierce pursuit of the largest possible financial award or settlement for each client.
