$75 million verdict in Georgia: Buckelew v. Womack

In another Georgia case, a 32-year-old man sued multiple healthcare providers for medical malpractice leading to catastrophic brain damage and locked-in syndrome (L.I.S.) after he suffered a stroke.

In another Georgia case, a 32-year-old man sued multiple healthcare providers for medical malpractice leading to catastrophic brain damage and locked-in syndrome (L.I.S.) after he suffered a stroke. L.I.S. refers to a condition that some people with brain damage can suffer where they have total paralysis but are still conscious and possess their normal cognitive function. The victim, Jonathan Buckelew, suffered a stroke during a chiropractic adjustment, and was brought to the hospital emergency room, where a series of errors and miscommunication began. The stroke was not diagnosed or treated until the next day, and the court accepted that the delay was below the standard of care and resulted in a worse outcome for Mr. Buckelew. The emergency room doctor, who did not communicate relevant information and results to other physicians and later altered medical records to suggest that he had communicated this information, was found to be 60% at fault, and the radiologist who missed the stroke when reading the imaging, was found to be 40% at fault for the victim’s harm. Mr. Buckelew was awarded $29 million for medical expenses and $46 million in non-economic damages (pain and suffering).