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Trial Victory for Otolaryngology Surgeon (ENT/HNS)

Pretzel & Stouffer partner Brian C. Rocca and Michael A. Barry successfully defended an ENT surgeon in a case brought by the family of a woman who at the age of 32 underwent sinus and septal surgery and allegedly contracted bacterial meningitis the next day. She was a high-level master’s degreed biomedical engineer who claimed to have permanent brain damage from meningitis, leaving her totally disabled with cognitive loss, constant pain, headaches, dizziness, and a balance disorder. The defense argued that the surgeries were done correctly; plaintiff did not have bacterial meningitis or brain damage; she had no cognitive loss and was not disabled, but she had symptoms from a hormonally caused complex migraine syndrome. Plaintiff asked the jury for $8,674,000, but the jury entered a verdict for the defendant, agreeing with the arguments of Mr. Rocca and Mr. Barry.

May 2016 | Firm News