Medical Malpractice Case Report: $925,000 for failure to address signs of neurological compromise resulting in compartment syndrome
Feb 2008
William J. Maddix and John F. Eisberg achieved a medical malpractice settlement of $925,000.00 on the behalf of a 27-year-old male single father for a failure to diagnose and address signs of neurological compromise following surgery causing substantial damage to his lower extremity. Read the following Minnesota Case Report.
Selected Results*
(Excerpts taken with permission from Minnesota Association for Justice's “Minnesota Case Reports”)
In November, 2005, a 27-year-old male suffered a tibial plateau fracture (occurs at the top of the shin bone, and involves the cartilage surface of the knee joint) of the right leg in an ATV accident. Defendant surgeon performed an open reduction with internal fixation. After the surgery, plaintiff exhibited increasing signs of neurovascular compromise in the lower extremity over a sixteen-hour period before the defendant surgeon and nurses intervened to address the problem. Plaintiff ultimately lost substantial muscle tissue and nerve function in the lower extremity. He has a foot drop, a Volkmann's contracture (lack of blood flow (ischemia), usually caused by increased pressure from swelling) and compromised venous return in the extremity, placing him at risk for stasis ulcers, infection and possible amputation.
At the time of the incident, plaintiff was a full-time single parent and worked as a self-employed carpenter and painter earning $34,000 per year. He will need to undergo a retraining period of two years to find a new job with similar pay. He had medical bills of $150,000.
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