$10.5 Million Awarded to Woman Debilitated by Anesthetics Error

$10.5 million was awarded to the wife of a retired naval officer for complications arising from improperly-administered anesthesia. Karla Rosa, 44, suffered permanent injuries as a result of her surgery at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London in 2006.

According to the lawsuit, "carelessness and negligence" on the part of the anesthesiologists led Rosa to suffer "serious, severe, painful and permanent injuries." She was "permanently deprived of her full ability to carry on and enjoy life's activities," the suit continued.

Subsequent to the error, Mrs. Rosa spent months in the hospital, having suffered nerve and brain damage. She required a feeding tube and venous catheter, as well as a tracheotomy, which left a scar. She sustained foot pain and "other physiological, psychological and neurological side effects."

In all, Mrs. Rosa spent 26 days in a coma, 29 days in the ICU, and 45 more days of verbal and orthopedic rehabilitation and therapy.

Today Mrs. Rosa lives in Ohio and is given regular care by her two daughters.

The malpractice suit was brought against Anesthesia Associates of New London in 2008, specifically against Dr. Thomas Meitt, Dr. Bart Calobrisi (recently deceased), and nurse anesthetist Jean Richeimer. The hospital was originally sued but was eventually dropped from the case.

The most important thing is, as Sean McElligott, attorney for Rosa and her husband, notes, "We're glad to finally be able to bring some peace to the family."

Many people think that we receiving anesthesia is no big deal. That is incorrect. Receiving anesthesia can be deadly. During surgery, if an anesthesiologist does not recognize a patient who vomits during surgery, it can result in aspiration pneumonia. That is a condition where the vomit literally gets inhaled into the lungs. If that happens, the patient's ability to breathe and receive oxygen is significantly impaired and can result in brain damage or even death.

If you would like more information about how medical malpractice and accident cases work in the state of New York, I encourage you to explore my educational medical malpractice website. If you have legal questions,  I urge you to pick up the phone and call me at 516-487-8207 or by e-mail at lawmed10@yahoo.com to answer your questions. That's what I do every day. I welcome your call.