Jury Awards $9.3 Million for Bridgeport Hospital Malpractice
BRIDGEPORT – A Bridgeport Superior Court jury awarded a 72 year-old Southport woman $9.3 million as a result of a drug overdose that caused permanent, life-long injuries.
Barbara G. Lathan was admitted to Bridgeport Hospital in October 2007 for treatment of a urinary tract infection.
“This should have been a relatively simple medical issue,” said one of Lathan’s attorneys, Kathleen L. Nastri of Bridgeport-based Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder. “Instead, she was given an overdose of the drug Lovenox and now will need a wheel chair and face ongoing serious medical issues for the rest of her life.”
“Aside from the initial urinary infection, Barbara was healthy, active and was enjoying life,” said another of Lathan’s lawyers, Antonio Ponvert III, also of Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder. “Then, the drug overdose caused her to die and be revived, resulted in her needing a half dozen surgeries, caused a serious new infection, and forced her to endure excruciating pain. She went in for what should have been a very short admission and came out 75 days later, altered forever.”
“It would be an understatement to say that Bridgeport Hospital violated the standard of care in Barbara Lathan’s case,” Ponvert added.
Lovenox is typically used as a blood anticoagulant.
The lawsuit says that “as a result of the overdose of Lovenox, Barbara Lathan needed blood transfusions and multiple surgical procedures to evacuate the blood from her peritoneal cavity, contain and control the bleeding, and attempt to prevent further damage to (her) internal organs.”
As she became even more ill, a central line was inserted in her neck where an orange-sized abscess subsequently developed as a result of a MRSA infection.
Lathan’s “injuries and damages were caused by the professional negligence of Bridgeport Hospital,” the lawsuit says.
Based upon the cost of her previous and anticipated ongoing medical case, and as compensation for her pain, suffering and loss of her ability to enjoy life, the jury awarded $9,279,884.95.
Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder has offices in Bridgeport and New Haven. The nationally known law firm has achieved record verdicts for people who suffer serious personal injuries or economic harm from medical malpractice, violation of their civil or constitutional rights, dangerous products, negligence, drunk drivers, corporate or governmental abuse and commercial misconduct. www.koskoff.com .