$2,850,000 Settlement For Family of Husband and Father Who Suffered Cardiac Arrest During Surgery

A man went for his scheduled and routine colonoscopy.  He expected to be out in a few hours and had food prepared for dinner.  He wanted to eat well following the fasting he had to do in preparation for the procedure.  Tragically, he never made it home.  As a result of the anesthesia delivered, he stopped breathing, causing cardiac arrest, depriving his brain and body of needed oxygen.  By the time he was resuscitated, his brain was already too injured to support meaningful life.

Anesthesia provided to colonoscopy patients is typically less than that provided for major surgeries that require general anesthesia.  Accordingly, the procedure is frequently performed on an “outpatient” basis, and patients are not intubated to maintain airway and a steady flow of oxygen to their lungs.  Instead, the anesthesia professional is supposed to monitor them closely, and the surgical team should have medicines to deliver at a moment’s notice in signs of trouble – which is quite rare.

In this case, the Baer Law Firm discovered that the nurse anesthetist continued to deliver anesthesia despite a falling respiratory rate and pulse.  Further questioning of witnesses and review of medical records proved that there was an unreasonably delay in delivering lifesaving medication, such as epinephrine. Timely administration of epinephrine and other medications would have likely saved him with little to no lasting harm.  Thus, there was shared responsibility for what among multiple providers, all of whom contributed significant sums to the settlement.    The Family misses their daddy and grandaddy terribly, but are glad to have answers, closure and accountability for what happened.

If you’re in Marietta and need help with a serious injury claim, visit our Marietta personal injury lawyer page to get started.

Bryan Baer

Attorney Bryan Baer has twenty (20) years of legal experience representing clients in serious and catastrophic personal injury and medical malpractice cases. He has been first chair in more than a dozen twelve-person jury trials on both the plaintiff and defense sides. Recognized as a leader in his legal community, he is frequently asked to speak at legal seminars on trial topics ranging from “Best Practices in Voire Dire” to “Maximizing Damages at Trial” as well as insurance issues such as “Navigating the Insurance Landscape” and “Injury Demands & Negotiations.” Learn more here.