Verdict Alert!
The plaintiff, a 21-year-old woman, was diagnosed with an intracranial teratoma (a benign brain tumor) that caused obstructive hydrocephalus within a month or so of graduating with a Master’s Degree in Mathematics. She was admitted to a hospital in New York City under the care of a well-known and experienced neurosurgeon who performed a right frontal craniectomy to remove the largest teratoma he had ever seen in his years of practice. It was claimed that the surgical procedure was negligently planned and performed and as a result of same, this woman suffered severe upper extremity spasticity and/or hypertonicity following the surgery and her ability to speak was impaired.
The woman was transferred to an acute rehabilitation facility and her condition improved. Ultimately, she was able to ambulate with assistance. While she still suffered from upper extremity spasticity and hypertonicity, she was alert, able to communicate and able to ambulate with assistance.
A few months later, this woman was admitted to another well-known hospital in New York City under the care of another neurosurgeon who performed selective dorsal rhizotomies of her cervical spine in an effort to relieve and/or improve her upper extremity hypertonicity and spasticity. However, as a result of this operation, her condition significantly worsened. Her cervical spine was severely damaged and she was now permanently rendered a “locked-in” quadriplegic. This matter was settled for $14,500,000 prior to jury selection.
