There have been at least 14 major medical malpractice verdicts in 2025 so far, according to a June 20 blog post from legal services company Expert Institute.
Here are the biggest verdicts so far this year:
1. Georgia ($70M – Vasopressin overdose)
Jessica Powell underwent bilateral above-the-knee amputations after three physicians administered excessive Vasopressin during septic shock management, with the jury citing critical care mismanagement and delayed accountability.
2. New York ($60M – epidural injection paralysis)
David Gangaram was left paraplegic following a lumbar steroid injection in which Kenalog, allegedly omitted from documentation, was injected improperly, raising concerns about imaging use, drug choice and interventional pain protocols.
3. Florida ($45M – inappropriate hospital admission in STEMI)
James Sada died following delayed catheterization due to hospital admission choices prioritizing internal referrals over transferring him to a PCI-capable center, highlighting systemic triage failures within integrated health networks, according to the report.
4. Georgia ($40M – missed brainstem stroke in ED)
Jonathan Buckelew suffered locked-in syndrome after an ER physician failed to diagnose a vertebrobasilar stroke post-chiropractic manipulation, despite neurological red flags.
5. Wisconsin ($29M – delayed response in fetal distress)
A nurse midwife’s failure to act on non-reassuring fetal heart tracings and delay in calling an OB led to hypoxic cerebral palsy.
6. Georgia ($25M – undiagnosed preeclampsia leading to stillbirth)
Physicians allegedly failed to monitor and manage severe preeclampsia symptoms in a pregnant patient, resulting in fetal demise.
7. Oregon ($20.6M – improper implant sterilization)
Soccer goalkeeper Jake Gleeson developed a career-ending infection after “flash” sterilized shin implants were used intraoperatively due to a supply issue.
8. Massachusetts ($17M – missed bowel perforation post-hernia repair)
A fatal delay in diagnosing bowel perforation following elective hernia surgery led to septic shock, with criticism focused on lack of post-op surgical evaluation and over-reliance on unqualified staff for clinical triage.
9. New Jersey ($17M – delayed delivery in placenta percreta)
A planned C-section for placenta percreta was postponed beyond recommended gestational timing, resulting in uterine rupture and neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.
10. New Mexico ($16.75M – retained surgical instrument)
A 13-inch metal retractor was retained after tumor resection surgery, causing chronic pain and complications until removal nearly two months later.
11. South Carolina ($16M – infant death from delayed C-section)
Failure to urgently respond to fetal distress and meconium in labor led to a preventable newborn death.
12. Georgia ($15.5M – teleradiology misread in cervical trauma)
A remote radiologist misread a cervical spine CT as normal, leading to premature C-collar removal and quadriplegia; the case set precedent on liability for off-site emergency radiology reads, according to the report.
13. Georgia ($13.75M – anesthesia complications in high-risk patient)
Bennie Moore died from a hypoxic brain injury after excessive sedation in a morbidly obese patient with OSA, where the assistant anesthetist failed to recognize respiratory decline and the supervising anesthesiologist did not tailor precautions.
14. Wisconsin ($10.2M – pitocin overdose during labor)
Prolonged, high-dose Pitocin use in labor caused uterine hyperstimulation and neonatal HIE, with blame placed on failure to modulate induction protocol and adequately respond to signs of fetal compromise.
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