In medical malpractice news, a jury in Palm Beach County awarded a woman $36 million after an epidural administered during a pain management procedure went horribly wrong. The woman, 52-year-old Kathleen Ramey, has difficulty walking and lost the use of her right hand after her doctor administered the epidural in 2000.
Ramey had been seeking pain relieve from a previous injury suffered in a car accident when the doctor penetrated her spinal cord with the epidural, causing significant damage. The doctor who administered the epidural, Andrew Weiss, did not attend the two-day trial in West Palm Beach, as he is currently serving a federal prison sentence on a conviction of peddling prescription drugs. Weiss was apparently given the opportunity to appear on his own behalf, but declined.
As it stands the award will be difficult to collect, as Dr. Weiss filed bankruptcy just days after the procedure, and Weiss's medical malpractice insurer denied Ramey's claim. However, the jury's award was the first step in a lawsuit against Weiss's medical malpractice insurance company.
Sources: WPBF News
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