Resulted in Favorable Settlement - Man Dies as a Result of Doctors' Negligence
A 58 year-old father and husband died after multiple doctors failed to properly care and treat his Type II Diabetes and gangrene infection. The patient's primary care physician incorrectly monitored his Type II Diabetes, and improperly treated a lesion on his foot by prescribing the wrong medication causing gangrene infection. The primary care physician referred the patient to another doctor who delayed proper treatment of the infection, ultimately killing the patient. Michels & Watkins obtained a favorable settlement on behalf of the deceased patient and his family.
Resulted in $3 Million Settlement - Man Left in Permanent Vegetative State Due to Doctor and Hospital Negligence
A 58-year-old father and husband was left in a permanent vegetative state because the hospital and doctors failed to properly monitor the patient's vital signs, timely respond to alarms, and delayed giving him resuscitation drugs during surgery. The man, who came to the hospital with complaints of abdominal pain, fever and chills, was ordered to have an ERCP procedure allowing the surgeons to examine the pancreatic and bile ducts. After several errors were made during surgery, the man suffered severe brain damage and now resides in a long-term care facility. Michels & Watkins obtained a $3 million settlement on behalf of the patient and his family.
Resulted in $2,000,000 Settlement - Delay of Bacterial Meningitis Diagnosis in Infant Causes Brain Damage
Michels & Watkins represented a 6-week-old who suffered brain damage as a result of the delayed diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis. After the infant showed obvious signs of meningitis, the nurses and doctors concluded differently and continued to inappropriately treat the infant. The infant is unable to walk and suffers from spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy with global developmental delay.Resulted in 1,900,000 Settlement - 17-Year-Old Drowns Due to Lack of Supervision in PE Class
A 17-year-old high school junior who had a history of seizure disorder, drowned during physical education class. A fellow student jumped in to save him after noticing his body at the bottom of the pool. The boy was supposed to be under the supervision of the PE teacher who was well aware of his seizure condition and his difficulties with the disorder. The teacher was distracted by two students who were fighting and was not supervising the boy at the time of the incident. A student called 911. The boy was pronounced dead at the hospital later that day. The parents of the boy filed a wrongful death suit against the school district and Michels & Watkins obtained a $1.9 million dollar settlement on behalf of the family.Resulted in $5.1 Million Settlement - Hospital Negligence Results in Multiple Unnecessary Transplants for Newborn
Michels & Watkins represented a newborn boy in an action against a Southern California hospital that had misdiagnosed the obstruction of the baby's digestive tract, resulting in an unnecessary transplant of the small bowel, pancreas and liver. This was a significant issue because of the high risk of rejection of the infant's transplanted small bowel and pancreas.
Resulted in $8.15 Million Settlement - Newborn Left With Severe Brain Damage Due to Hospital Negligence
Michels & Watkins represented a newborn twin who suffered severe brain damage due to medical malpractice. For approximately 70 hours, the hospital attempted to induce labor in the mother, despite her request for a Cesarean section and clinical indications that one of the twins was in significant distress. When the C-section was finally performed, one twin was left severely brain damaged with a life expectancy of 10 to 20 years.
Resulted in $5 Million Settlement - Woman Left with Cognitive Impairment Due to Hospital Negligence
A five-month-pregnant woman was taken to a hospital emergency room complaining of vaginal bleeding and being unable to feel the fetus move. Despite significant blood loss, nurses gave assurances that all was well. A short time later, the patient delivered a dead fetus, her condition worsened, and she stopped breathing. When intubating the patient, several errors occurred, leaving her with some cognitive impairment.
Resulted in $5.5 Million Settlement - Medical Complications Leave Baby With Irreversible Brain Damage
Michels & Watkins obtained a substantial settlement from a Los Angeles-area hospital for causing medical complications following the normal birth of a healthy male infant. The hospital's protocols did not follow the guidelines set out by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the baby developed severe hyperbilirubinemia and kernicterus. He suffered irreversible brain damage and is expected to live only to into teens.
Resulted in $10 Million Settlement - Hospital Negligence Results in Cardiac Arrest with Death
A 42-year-old man went to a hospital emergency room complaining of neck pain and was evaluated only by a physician assistant, not a doctor and was given medication and discharged. The next day, he developed respiratory distress and was taken to a hospital ICU by ambulance. He went into cardiac arrest and died from strep sepsis, a condition indicating the presence of microorganisms in the tissue or bloodstream.
Resulted in $6.8 Million Settlement - Inexperienced Surgeon's Mistake Leaves Child Dependant on Ventilator
Michels & Watkins represented a baby born prematurely with congenital heart disease and other malformations. When the baby underwent heart surgery at about one year of age, a red birthmark discovered soon after birth became inflamed and proved to be a benign cyst. An inexperienced neurosurgeon rather than a specialized thoracic surgeon performed the operation to remove the benign cyst and mistakenly cut the trachea and esophagus. Three years later, the child still has a tube in its trachea and depends on a ventilator to breathe.
Resulted in $5.5 Million Settlement - Numerous Attempts at Vacuum-Assisted Delivery Delays Emergency C-Section
After a prolonged labor which did not result in timely vaginal delivery, and despite worsening fetal status as reflected in the deteriorating fetal heart monitor strips, this patient's OBGyn doctor elected to try to deliver the baby by use of a vacuum cup attached to the baby's head. Three attempts were made trying to pull the baby from the uterus using vacuum extractor, all of which failed. During this time, the baby's heart rate continued to decline and she suffered a severe lack of oxygen. Finally, the decision was made to perform an emergency c-section. This baby girl suffers from spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, microcephaly, and severe mental retardation. The court rejected defendants' efforts to compel arbitration.
Resulted in $3.5 Million Settlement - Six-Year-Olds Tumor Worsens Due to Doctor Negligence
When a six-year-old girl started to develop breasts and pubic hair, her pediatrician ordered a CT scan of her brain. The CT scan was read by a doctor-in-training as normal. Michels & Watkins had the CT scan read by the chief of pediatric-neuroradiology at a major hospital in Los Angeles who indicated an "obvious" tumor in the brain. If the tumor had been diagnosed earlier, it would have been treatable. Michels & Watkins received the highest settlement ever paid in Riverside County at that time for this type of injury.
Verdict of $4.25 Million - 15-Year-Old Drowns Due to Inattentive School's Lifeguard
Michels & Watkins represented the parents of a 15-year-old boy who drowned due to the negligence of a school's lifeguards and teachers. The lifeguard was inattentive and allowed too many children in the pool, and the drowning of the 15-year-old boy went unnoticed. He went into a coma and died shortly after. Michels & Watkins obtained the highest child-death verdict in the history of California at the time for $4.25 million. The verdict was 10 times the pretrial offer. The case resulted in new rules at the school to improve the safety of student swimming.
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