$17.5 Million Malpractice Verdict Against Hospital
A DeKalb County jury has awarded $17.5 million in a medical malpractice trial against Grady Memorial Hospital. The trial stemmed from a 2008 elective surgery that went awry. According to court documents, “On April 9, 2008, then 19-year-old Sheriod was struck in the jaw by a stray bullet as he was leaving a Lovejoy, Ga., Wal-Mart with friends. While the wound was not life-threatening, Sheriod was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment. By April 11, doctors decided to repair Sheriod’s broken jaw even though they were aware their patient’s airway remained partially obstructed and swollen. As Sheriod was being moved from the OR table post surgery, the anesthesia team did not follow a proper extubation plan, allowing Sheriod to become uncontrollable, flip over on the bed and dislodge his endotracheal (breathing) tube. Sheriod was without oxygen for approximately 7-8 minutes as doctors tried unsuccessfully to re-intubate his obstructed swollen airway. As a result, Sheriod suffered a severe brain injury.”
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