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Paulson & Nace, PLLC attorneys Barry J. Nace and Matthew A. Nace secured a verdict in excess of $600,000 on behalf of the family of Leila Cartledge who died as a result of medical negligence and malpractice in Prince George’s County, Maryland.Leila Cartledge, a 72 year old mother of six and grandmother, had a five year history of diverticulosis. Mrs. Cartledge had surgery at Southern Maryland Hospital on February 23, 2010. A subtotal colectomy with an ileorectal anastomosis was performed, and subsequent to the surgery, she experienced multiple complications and warning signs, including severe bandemia, a consistently elevated pulse rate, new onset of abdominal pain, fever spikes, a noted respiratory rate of 20 on every documented reading subsequent to the surgery, hypotension, and ultimately cognitive impairments for the last several days of her hospitalization.
Despite these red flags, she was discharged at approximately 6:00 P.M. on March 1, 2010 without a differential diagnosis for any of the post-surgical warnings and complaints.
On March 3, 2010, Mrs. Cartledge was sent from her home by ambulance to Prince George’s Community Hospital where she was noted to be in septic shock, liver failure, and kidney failure. She underwent an initial exploratory surgery that documented the release of “copious pus” throughout her abdomen. Sadly, despite the physicians’ best efforts at Prince George’s Hospital, a DNR was initiated and Mrs. Cartledge passed away on March 11, 2010. She was survived by her husband of 54 years, Jonathon Cartledge, Sr., and six adult children.
Paulson & Nace filed suit on behalf of the Cartledge Family alleging that the doctors and physician’s assistant treating Mrs. Cartledge were negligent in sending her home from the hospital without understanding the causes of her complaints. “When a patient comes out of surgery and has multiple warning signs that something isn’t right, the health care providers treating her must figure out what is going on before sending that patient home,” said lead trial lawyer Barry J. Nace. “This jury paid very close attention to the evidence in this case and, ultimately, decided that Mrs. Cartledge should not have been sent home before the doctors knew what was causing her problems.”
Matthew Nace noted that the jury’s verdict was very reasonable: “This jury got it right. They listened closely and awarded $40,000 to each family member for losing the golden years with their wife and mother along with the economic loss that was proven at trial. The Cartledge family is thankful for the work that the jury did, but we all know that they would rather have their mother alive today than financial compensation. As their lawyers, though, it is gratifying to help them achieve a little justice.”
The trial lasted three weeks and was conducted in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Paulson & Nace, PLLC is a premier medical malpractice and personal injury law firm serving clients throughout the greater Washington, D.C. area, including those in West Virginia and Maryland.
Contact Info:
Name: Barry Nace
Email: Send Email
Organization: Paulson & Nace, PLLC
Address: 1615 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20009
Phone: 202-463-1999
Website: http://www.paulsonandnace.com
Release ID: 83651
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