(Last Updated on: March 5, 2024 )
Patients have a right to ethical, honorable, and proficient medical care under their physicians. Far too often, this is not the case in hospitals across America. Each year, an estimated 210,000 to 440,000 hospital patients suffer a form of negligence or malpractice that contributes to their passing. This makes medical malpractice the third leading cause of death in the entire country.
Medical malpractice happens when a healthcare professional’s negligent actions directly cause harm or injury to a patient. These types of cases can be highly damaging to the patient and can result in life-changing injuries or death. Even seemingly minor injury cases may require a medical malpractice lawsuit to compensate the patient for their losses.
Below are the top ten medical malpractice lawsuits of all time. These shocking cases resulted in significant monetary recovery for victims who suffered unduly.
10. $11 Million | Foreign Objects in Man’s Stomach
An Arizona man was on life support in an assisted living facility when employees decided to tamper with the dying man’s body. After his death, all types of foreign objects were discovered in his stomach, including plastic bags, ketchup packets and candy wrappers.
9. $11.4 Million | Cerebral Palsy Caused by Birth Injury
In 2005, a Wisconsin woman was giving birth when a midwife and nurse failed to respond to the infant’s distress after misreading the monitor. As a result, the child suffered a birth injury leading to cerebral palsy. Both the midwife and nurse were found to be negligent by the court.
8. $15 Million | Breast Cancer
A New York woman discovered a lump in her chest; however, upon examination, her doctor said the lump was benign. When over a year later the woman’s lump had doubled in size, it was discovered as cancerous. Her condition required a mastectomy, radiation treatments and chemotherapy.
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7. $17.25 Million | Stroke After Kidney Function Misdiagnosis
Before an operation, readings indicated that a patient was suffering from an acute kidney injury on top of an existing chronic kidney condition. Around the time of surgery, the patient suffered a large circulation-related stroke. It was argued that his surgery should not have gone forward given his kidney condition, and he would not have suffered the stroke if the surgery were not performed.
This settlement was obtained by Daniel Hodes of Hodes Milman. Kaiser originally offered $4 million to resolve the case, but Mr. Hodes was able to obtain an amount of $17.25 million.
6. $23.2 Million | Oxygen Deprivation During Birth
An infant in Minnesota suffered hypoxia during childbirth and now suffers from neurological problems, seizures and quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Hypoxia is a condition where the cells and tissues do not receive enough oxygen. The court awarded $23.2 million in damages for the losses caused by negligence.
Medical malpractice can have devastating effects on a family. If you or your loved ones need legal assistance, please call us at (949) 691-3644 for a free consultation.
5. $25 Million | Misdiagnosed Heart Condition
When a cardiologist gave a positive report to a Virginia man after a checkup, the doctor took him off his heart medications and told him over-the-counter drugs would be fine to treat his condition. Months later, the man suffered a debilitating heart attack. He has since undergone seven surgeries and requires a heart transplant within the next five years.
4. $31 Million | Oxygen Starvation
In 1998, a Florida mother received too much medication during her induced labor. The drugs compromised her child’s oxygen supply, leading to cerebral palsy. The case was settled nearly 14 years later. Due to a cap on medical malpractice awards, the woman received only $15 million of the $31 million settlement. Several states have similar limits on awards for medical malpractice litigation.
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3. $38.5 Million | Ethics Violation Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
In 2008, a man in Florida began experiencing unusual cramps in his leg and shoulder. The doctor suggested manual joint manipulations, which would require anesthesia. The patient suffered a stroke during the procedure and stayed in a coma for four years. The doctor eventually admitted that the procedure was unnecessary and that he was only looking to boost his income.
2. $58.6 Million | Infant Brain Damage
During a difficult birth, a doctor failed to order a C-section delivery. As a result, the newborn suffered severe brain damage. The child now lives in Connecticut and is unable to talk, walk or eat. Medical malpractice settlements can cover losses associated with long-term conditions, as this one did.
1. $74.5 Million | Negligence & Falsified Medical Records
In California, doctors failed to properly deliver a baby. The doctor in charge chose not to perform an episiotomy, did not use forceps during the delivery and failed to assess contractions. As a result, the infant now suffers from cerebral palsy. The hospital refused to accept fault for negligence and even falsified medical records in an attempt to cover up their wrongdoings.
Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyers
At Hodes Milman we have spent more than 30 years helping to create better futures for victims who have suffered by the carelessness of others. We fight for justice and relief while achieving real results for our clients.
While there is no way to guarantee a specific outcome for each individual medical malpractice case, what we can guarantee is doing all in our power to get you the compensation you deserve.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to medical malpractice, you could qualify for compensation to help offset:
- Medical bills
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Lost past and future income
Medical malpractice can have devastating effects on a family. If you or your loved ones are looking for legal assistance, please call us at (949) 640-8222 for a free consultation. We will help you get your life back on track.
Related Links
Click on the links below to learn more about Medical Malpractice-related topics:
- Medical Malpractice
- Cancer Misdiagnosis
- Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis
- Birth Injuries
- Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy
- Elder Abuse
Client Testimonials
“The Law Office of Hodes Milman represented us for a somewhat complicated medical malpractice lawsuit. My husband and I are extremely fortunate and grateful to have had Mr. Daniel Hodes as our attorney. His expertise and professionalism throughout the process quickly brought us peace of mind, especially during such a stressful time. Mr. Hodes was diligent with every detail pertaining to our case and we had the utmost confidence in his guidance. We were consistently kept informed of new developments in our case and Mr. Hodes was available to us at all times. I highly recommend Mr. Daniel Hodes to anyone seeking exceptional legal representation as we are extremely satisfied with the outcome of his service.”
– Melissa R.
“Hodes Millman, is the best personal injury lawyer team in Irvine California. I am from North Orange County and most people up here only have the best things to say about the firm. They handle catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death and fraud cases to fight against corruption in the insurance industry. Based upon my personal experience, I highly recommend Hodes Millman, to anyone who sustains injury and needs top notch litigation and passion for justice on their side.”
– Alexander N.
“Ben Ikuta represented me in a car accident case where I was hit from behind and the other driver admitted fault (on tape at the scene.) You would think that it would’ve been a slam dunk case, but the insurance companies put up a fight about it. Luckily, Ben navigated the waters like a seasoned veteran.
He was both honest and direct with me, yet compassionate and empathetic to my situation. Ben kept me abreast of my case every step of the way, ensuring that I always had his support and answered all of my questions with candor and transparency.
I am grateful to Ben and his team for a positive experience that ultimately led to a favorable outcome for my case. His wisdom, patience, and widely diverse knowledge about the law is second to none; I’d confidently put any of my loved ones and friends in his company, trusting that they’d be in good hands.
Thank you, Ben and the team!”
– Julie S.
Notable Medical Malpractice Settlements
Cases Settled for $12,350,000 for Three Patients who Developed Surgical Site Infections
Jennifer Johnson and Daniel Hodes represented three patients who were operated on by an orthopedic surgeon who was known by the hospital to have been colonized with MSSA. Within several weeks, all three developed postoperative surgical site infections, and two developed severe neurological compromise as a result. Motions to amend to add punitive damages were made and granted. After 25 depositions, the hospital, the orthopedist, and his group paid $12,350.000.00 to resolve the cases.
Verdict for $10.9 Million for 34-Year-Old Woman in a Failure to Diagnose Cancer Lawsuit
In an HMO negligence lawsuit, two large HMOs failed to collaborate and share medical information. This resulted in improper follow up on a patient with cervical dysplasia. After 20 months, the woman was diagnosed with Stage IV cervical cancer. In a $0 offer for her case from the HMO’s defense attorneys, Dan Hodes successfully recovered a record breaking $10,960,000 jury verdict on her family’s behalf. To date, this was the largest medical malpractice wrongful death verdict in Orange County.
$5.7 Million Settlement in a Case Involving Severe Birth Injuries From Lack of Oxygen
In April of 2021, Jeffrey Milman and Benjamin Ikuta of Hodes Milman settled a birth injury case against a hospital and OBGYN for $5,700,000. Hospital nurses violated their own hospital policy in administering Pitocin to promote labor despite clear contraindications. The nurses then failed to notify the attending OBGYN of strips clearly showing fetal distress for well over an hour. When the child was born, the OBGYN was shocked and dismayed to deliver a moribund, unresponsive child. The infant suffered from severe brain damage as a result of lack of oxygen. The hospital paid $4,000,000 and the OBGYN and her group paid $1,700,000.
