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Verdicts & Settlements

  • $15.0 million involving man who was left a ventilator dependant quadriplegic as result of broken neck during intubation

  • $12.5 million involving a suicide

  • $10.75 million settlement with physicians and hospital in case involving infant who suffered permanent brain injuries at birth

  • $8.1 million wrongful death verdict in case involving an outpatient suicide, highest verdict in the United States in a suicide case

  • $7.1 million verdict represented the first medical malpractice verdict ever in Guilford County, highest medical malpractice verdict in North Carolina at the time, the second highest punitive damages verdict in the state

  • $7 million awarded by jury in medmal verdict

  • $4.5 million involving a child who suffered significant brain injury as result of medical treatment received for heart condition

  • $3.5 million verdict involving infant who suffered permanent brain injuries

  • $3.25 million for the wrongful death of husband and father of 4 children who died due to a failure to see and appreciate a brain aneurysm by a radiologist performing an MRA (Magnetic Resonance Angiogram)

  • Confidential settlement in 2002: $2.3 million for the wrongful death of a 38 year-old, wife and mother of 2 children who died following a routine thyroidectomy

  • Cumberland County: $1.5 million settlement in a car accident involving a 31 year-old wife and mother of 2 children which resulted in a closed-head injury and permanent brain damage

  • Macon County: $800,000 wrongful death verdict in case involving throat cancer

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    WHITFIELD v. SNIPES M.D., ET AL

    *1 TITLE: WHITFIELD v. SNIPES M.D., ET AL
    DOCKET-NUMBER:
    COURT: Superior
    STATE: Cumberland County, North Carolina
    DATE:
    Incident: September, 1985
    Filing: August, 1987
    Trial: December, 1988
    APPEAL:
    Was Appeal Filed:
    Name of Person(s) Filing:
    RANGE AMOUNT: $2,000,000 - $4,999,999
    OUTCOME: Plaintiff Verdict
    NON VERDICT AWARD: $3,500,000
    TOTAL VERDICT: $3,500,000
    JUDGE REDUCED AWARD TO:
    VENUE CHANGE:
    PRIMARY INJURY: Severe Mental Deficiency
    SECONDARY INJURY:
    PERMANENT PAIN:
    PERMANENT SCARRING:
    LIMITED MOTION:
    BODILY IMPAIRMENT:
    PERMANENT WEAKNESS:
    INJURY TO DOMINANT HAND / ARM:
    INTERNAL FIXATION:
    NUMBER OF DAYS OF TREATMENT:
    LIABILITY:
    General: Doctor malpractice
    Specific: Childbirth
    PLAINTIFF:
    Sex: Female
    Age:
    Race:
    General Occupation:
    Occupational Field:
    DECEDENT:
    Sex:
    Age:
    Race:
    Occupation:
    Married:
    Number of Minor Children:
    Number of Adult Children:
    Days of Conscious Survival:
    Days of Unconscious Survival:
    Funeral Expense:
    Other Expenses:
    DEFENDANT:
    Type: Single Organization
    Sex: Organization
    Organization Type: Services-Health
    Race:
    General Occupation: Doctor
    Occupational Field: Services-Health
    Insurance:
    Policy Limit:
    EXPERT-WITNESSES:
    Plaintiff:


    FINAL DEMAND: $750,000
    FINAL OFFER: $350,000
    HIGH / LOW AGREEMENT:
    HIGH AMOUNT:
    LOW AMOUNT:
    CLAIMED PAST MEDICAL: $20,000
    CLAIMED FUTURE MEDICAL: $3,200,000
    CLAIMED PAST WAGE EXPENSE:
    CLAIMED FUTURE WAGE EXPENSE:
    FUTURE WAGE LOSS CLAIMED BY ECONOMIST:
    Plaintiff's Economist:
    Defendant's Economist:
    DAMAGES:
    Compensatory:
    Past Medical:
    Future Medical:
    Past Wage:
    Future Wage:
    Pain and Suffering:
    Other: $3,500,000
    Total: $3,500,000
    Punitive:
    Hedonic:
    Property:
    Other:
    Interest:
    Loss of Services:
    Loss of Services By:
    INTRAFAMILY SUIT:
    RES IPSA LOQUITUR:
    DEFENDANT CONTENDED PLAINTIFF ASSUMED RISK:
    DEFENDANT ADMITTED LIABILITY:
    COMPARATIVE NEGLIGENCE PERCENTAGE:
    SMOKER:
    ATTORNEY:
    Plaintiff:
    Defendant:
    JUDGE:

    TEXT:
    A newborn female suffered profound mental retardation and cerebral palsy following her birth. The plaintiff retained the ability to walk, which required more intensive care because of the dangerousness. The plaintiffs contended that the mother and baby developed recognizable intrauterine growth retardation in the seventh month of pregnancy, which became progressively worse and was undetected by the monitoring OB group. A fetal monitor showed that the baby asphyxiated during labor and delivery. The defendant argued that the intrauterine growth retardation was due to infection and could not be treated. The jury reduced the verdict amount by about 20-percent due to the chance that infection was the cause of the retardation. This was not a comparative negligence reduction. Plaintiff Attorney: Berry & Byrd by Wade Byrd, Fayetteville, NC. Defense Attorney: Newsom, Graham, et al. by Lewis Cheek, Durham, NC.
    *2 WHITFIELD v. SNIPES M.D., ET AL
    JVR No. 47009, 1988 WL 373709 (LRP Jury)