A four-week medical malpractice jury trial has ended with a $38.5 million dollar verdict for a Lauderdale Lakes man and his children. The defendants, two physicians were named in the lawsuit in February 2009.

The lawsuit stemmed from a procedure done in December 2008 at Pompano Beach’s Atlantic Surgical Center, which left the plaintiff in a vegetative state. The surgical procedure, which is considered controversial, is known as “manipulation under anesthesia.” According to the plaintiff’s attorneys, the man was deprived of oxygen for more than five minutes during the procedure. Because of the lack of oxygen, cardiac arrest occurred and the plaintiff suffered severe, permanent brain damage.

The plaintiff’s attorneys argued that their client did not need the procedure and that the anesthesiologist, who was named as a defendant in the lawsuit, ignored warnings from monitors that indicated the man was having problems.

The jury awarded the man $5 million for his pain and suffering and $23.57 million for medical expenses both in the past and in the future. His children, who were ages six and eight when the incident occurred, were each awarded $5 million.

The attorneys for the physicians tried to shift the blame for the man’s condition to a third doctor; however, the jurors did not find the third doctor had any responsibility in the plaintiff’s condition.

The man, who came to the United States from Jamaica with his parents when he was in his teens, worked in Fort Lauderdale with an accounting and security company. He currently lives with his mother and sister in Georgia. His two children live with his ex-fiancé.

If you or a loved one have suffered because of medical malpractice or negligence, contact an experienced attorney to discuss your options. You have rights and could receive financial compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, past and future medical expenses, and other claims.

Source: sfltimes.com, http://www.sfltimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13308&Itemid=199,” Michamed Hamaludin, May 23, 2013