$1.2M for Medical Malpractice
A Passaic County jury awarded $1.2 million on March 30 to a woman who lost a kidney when a surgeon cut through a renal artery during removal of a urinary tract blockage. Doris Falcon alleged that Dr. Daniel Rice failed to map out her veins and arteries before the June 2002 surgery at General Hospital Center. The severing of the artery cut off blood to her left kidney and caused internal bleeding and extensive scarring.
Last year, the case ended in a no cause but Superior Court Judge Anthony Graziano who presided at both trials, set aside the verdict because he agreed with Konray that jurors may have been misled by a defense graphic during closing. An appeals court upheld that decision. Rice contended that the severed artery was small than normal and that Falcon had previous kidney scarring. Rice also said he was using a new piece of equipment and failed to read instructions that recommended a CAT scan or ultrasound to map out blood vessels.
(This information was obtained from the New Jersey Law Journal)
