$20M Verdict to Family After Death of Spinal Surgery Patient

The family of a 50-year-old Ohio woman who died in January 2014 after undergoing spinal surgery has been awarded a $20 million jury verdict in Chester County in connection with her death.

The woman, Sharon Kimble, had her surgery at the Laser Spine Institute in Wayne, Pa., and was discharged two hours after her procedure, according to a March 29 story by The Legal Intelligencer. She had been suffering from chronic back pain and was taking narcotic pain medicine for seven years before the surgery.

The lawsuit, filed by her husband, Robert Kimble, alleged that she had been discharged prematurely from the spinal surgery center after her procedure and that she had been given six times the amount of a pain medication, Dilaudid, than was initially ordered. “The plaintiff contended the facility should have continued to monitor Mrs. Kimble, who was found dead hours after clinicians discharged her with instructions to take additional pain medication.”

The Kimbles stayed at a hotel close to the surgery center and Mrs. Kimble took her pain medication up to and including the day of the surgery, as instructed by her doctor, the story reported. She was found dead in the hotel a few hours after her surgery.

Photo credit: iStockphoto.com/courtneyk

The verdict was announced after eight days of trial in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. The jury awarded $10 million to Mrs. Kimble’s estate and $10 million to Mr. Kimble, to be paid by the defendants, the Laser Spine Institute and Dr. Glenn Rubenstein, the anesthesiologist who treated Mrs. Kimble. The jury reached its decision after less than 90 minutes of deliberation and found the surgical center 65 percent liable and Rubenstein 35 percent liable.

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 malpractice and 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.