Florida Personal Injury Law Firm Searcy Denney Obtains $4.9M Medical Malpractice Award for Polk County Man Who Lost His Leg
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (PRWEB) August 23, 2018 -- A Polk County, Florida man who lost his left leg below the knee was awarded 4.9 million dollars in a medical malpractice lawsuit against a vascular surgeon at Winter Haven Hospital. The plaintiff, Samuel C. Gray, was represented at trial by Edward V. Ricci and Matthew K. Schwencke of Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley in Samuel C. Gray and Belva Jean Gray vs. Panagiotis Iakovidis, M.D., Bond & Steele Clinic, P.A. d/b/a Bond Clinic (Case no.: 2015CA003137000000).
According to the complaint filed by plaintiff’s counsel on January 21, 2013, Gray, a hospice grief counselor, was taken from his workplace to Winter Haven Hospital by Polk County Emergency Services complaining of excruciating leg pain. After arriving at the hospital, Gray’s leg was noted as pale and Gray reported that his pain registered nine on a scale of ten. Subsequent to the administration of an ultrasound and intravenous Heparin anticoagulant therapy, the attending emergency physician, Dr. Lakovidis, diagnosed Gray with “acute ischemia of his left lower extremity.” The medical team attempted to perform several additional procedures on Gray, but his leg was ultimately amputated below the knee on January 25, 2013.
In Count 1 of the complaint, plaintiff’s counsel alleged that Dr. Lakovidis had a duty to provide medical care and treatment to Gray that “met the prevailing professional standard of care.” The complaint further alleged that Dr. Lakovidis breached this duty in multiple respects, including by “negligently delaying care for twenty-two (22) hours despite his patient presenting with ALI (acute limb ischemia), a life-threatening medical emergency” and negligently failing to meet the standard of care “recognized as acceptable and appropriate by reasonably prudent similar healthcare providers.”
In the complaint, plaintiff’s counsel argued that Gray suffered bodily injury, disfigurement, pain and suffering, lost earnings, loss of enjoyment of life, medical expenses and other losses as a “direct and proximate result” of Dr. Iakovidis’ negligence. Plaintiff’s counsel also alleged the doctor’s negligence caused Samuel Gray’s wife, Belva Jean Gray, to suffer the loss of “comfort, society, consortium and services of her husband” as well as the loss of enjoyment of life and marital relations due to the personal injuries her husband sustained.
After deliberation, the jury awarded Mr. Gray and his wife Belva more than 4.9 million dollars for their pain and suffering. Plaintiff’s counsel, Edward V. Ricci explains, “This case boiled down to a doctor who did not see the urgency of an emergent condition. The jury understood the case and the errors made by the physician and came back with a verdict that acknowledged the clients’ real damages.”
About Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley
Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley is a Florida personal injury law firm that focuses on helping victims of negligence, accidents and social injustice. With offices in West Palm Beach and Tallahassee, Searcy Denney has over 40 years of experience representing personal injury clients inside and outside of the courtroom.
John Hopkins, Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, https://www.searcylaw.com, +1 561-686-6300, [email protected]
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