$6.3M Medical Malpractice Verdict for Elderly Woman in Stroke Case

A 76-year-old Montgomery County woman whose doctor allegedly failed to react quickly enough to discover an apparent stroke suffered by the patient in 2004 has been awarded a $6.3 million verdict by a jury in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.

Myrna Rawdin had gone to see her physician, Dr. Mark B. Real and PMA Medical Specialists, on Nov. 1, 2004, complaining of lightheadedness, dizziness, garbled speech and headaches, according to an April 7 report by The Legal Intelligencer.  Her doctor diagnosed Rawdin with impacted earwax and rinsed out her ears, according to the plaintiffs. She had been diagnosed with high cholesterol back in 2003, but was not treated for the symptom, the story continued.

But on Nov. 29, 2004, Rawdin was diagnosed with a stroke at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, and was then transferred to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, the story reported.

She had earlier had an MRI on July 2, 2003, which “revealed that Rawdin had small vessel ischemic disease, or restricted blood flow in the arteries of the brain,” after experiencing symptoms of vertigo, but her doctor ” ignored the findings and told his staff to inform Rawdin that her MRI reading was within the normal limits, the story reported. The doctor allegedly also did not initially treat her high cholesterol readers to “prevent the further buildup of plaque and resulting carotid stenosis,” the story continued. A year later, the doctor prescribed Lipitor, which did lower her cholesterol.

Rawdin and her husband, Martin Rawdin, filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Real and his medical practice following her stroke, arguing that he had failed to recognize and treat her symptoms back in 2003 and on Nov. 2, 2004 so that he could have worked to prevent her stroke in late November of 2004, the report stated.

Myrna Rawdin has since suffered due to that missed diagnosis and will continue to suffer residual limitations, the plaintiffs argued.

The Rawdins won their case after a 12-member jury heard three days of testimony and deliberated for two-and-a-half hours, the story reported. She was awarded $1.3 million in past and future medical expenses, $2 million for past noneconomic loss, $2 million for future noneconomic loss, and $1 million for loss of consortium to her husband, the story reported.

The plaintiffs will also seek to recover $2.2 million in delay damages from the defendants in the case, the story reported.

These kinds of cases are a somber reminder that patients and their families must be vigilant about the medical care they receive so they know what is being done for a patient’s care every step of the way. But at the same time, patients and families aren’t doctors and they can’t know every question to ask.

That’s where skilled, expert, compassionate and thorough legal representation is needed by patients and their families who have been harmed by medical errors or omissions during their treatment. These kinds of cases happen on a regular basis, but they can be fought by legal teams that are prepared to battle for their clients’ rights all along the way to a fair settlement or to a just verdict.

We here at MyPhillyLawyer stand ready to assist you with your legal case if you or a loved one is ever seriously injured in a similar medical malpractice, birth injury or related case anywhere in the United States. We represent the families of victims who die in such tragedies as well, to ensure that their families receive every penny of damages that they are eligible to receive.

Call MyPhillyLawyer at 215-227-2727 or toll-free at 1-(866) 352-4572 anytime and our experienced, compassionate, aggressive team of attorneys and support staff will be there for you and your family every step of the way as we manage your case through the legal system.

When Winning Matters Most, Call MyPhillyLawyer.