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$9.3 million jury verdict against Bridgeport Hospital

A Southport woman was awarded $9.3 last Friday after a Superior Court jury deliberated about an hour and a half, finding Bridgeport Hospital liable for medical malpractice. The 72-year-old woman was represented by attorneys from the Bridgeport law firm of Koskoff, Koskoff and Bieder.

According to attorney Antonio Ponvert III, “”She went into the hospital a healthy 65-year-old and came out wheelchair-bound for the rest of her life. This award will pay for the medical care she will need for the rest of her life and is an acknowledgement of the pain and suffering this hospital caused her.”

Her 2007 hospital visit was prompted by a urinary tract infection. While in the hospital, she contracted MRSA, a bacterial infection that is usually resistant to antibiotics. She remained in the hospital for 75 days

That was not all. While in the hospital, she was given an overdose of a blood thinner that caused her to bleed into her abdomen. After developing a near-fatal blood clot, she was revived and underwent emergency surgery. It was while she was recovering from the surgery that she developed MSRA and a large abscess on her neck that required more surgeries. Eventually, part of her shoulder bone was removed.

Five years later, the surgical incision opened, causing her organs to bulge under her skin.

During the trial, Ponvert and his partner, attorney Kathleen Nastri, presented evidence that was almost entirely uncontested by the hospital’s lawyers. However, immediately after the announcement of the verdict, the hospital asked that it be thrown out. However, the judge refused, asking that written post-trial motions be filed at a later date.

Source: Connecticut Post, Southport woman wins $9.2M malpractice award against Bridgeport Hospital, by Daniel Tepfer, Oct. 25, 2013.