New York City paid $570 million in personal injury lawsuits in 2004, an increase about 2% from 2003. Medical malpractice cases represented about one-third of the settlements.
The personal injury payouts included $6.9 million to Joel Fernandez, an 11-month-old gastrointestinal surgery patient who was discharged from Metropolitan Hospital Center although he had a serious infection. His mother then took him to another hospital, where doctors failed to diagnose the sepsis infection, which led to serious brain damage.
$5.15 million was awarded to Daury Espinal who went to Bellevue Hospital to treat nosebleeds he kept getting after a motorcycle accident. His attorney said doctors did not treat damage to a brain artery which later caused severe brain damage.
The increase was caused by the city settling more personal injury lawsuits faster and cutting the backlog down. The appellate courts are also letting more expensive verdicts stand.
Reference:
"City Paid $570 Million In Personal Injury Lawsuits In 2004," AP, February 2005.
