Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs Attorneys Russ Briggs and Greg Fibich have secured a $6.6 million dollar jury verdict on behalf of a client who suffered permanent medical issues after two doctors were found liable for failing to diagnose and treat a blood clot that developed after a surgical procedure. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of our firm’s client, who was 23 years old at the time of her initial surgery, against two doctors who treated the client at Methodist Willowbrook hospital. Prior to trial, the claim against the treating hematologist was confidentially settled.
Following several days of testimony and deliberations, the Harris County jury found the treating surgeon, Dr. Ziad Amr, and radiologist, Dr. Andre Arash Lighvani, were both negligent in failing to properly identify and treat the patient’s portal vein thrombosis, a blood clot affecting the vein which transports blood from the intestines to the liver. The clot had developed after she underwent a surgical procedure in March of 2012 to remove her spleen and treat her anemic disorder, and was not discovered until mid-April, despite an extended hospital stay due to stomach pain and fever following the surgery, a CT scan performed by the physicians, and several visits to the emergency room.
While present during the entire trial, the client was not able to attend court on the day when the jury read their verdict, as she was hospitalized to remove excess fluid from her lungs and abdomen, a side effect of portal vein thrombosis.
As a result of the physicians’ negligence and substandard care, our client still has the blood clot today and suffers from many lasting medical issues that will require treatment for the rest of her life. She was also forced to temporarily drop out of nursing school, delaying her career, and her medical condition now prevents her from working full-time.
The verdict was a significant victory that highlights the importance of holding negligent medical professionals accountable for preventable injuries and lasting consequences that result from substandard care. The verdict is thought to be one of the largest medical malpractice verdicts in Houston, Harris County against individual physicians, and is indicative of the strength of this firm in all areas in which people are seriously injured for life.
