Page 11 - Verdicts and Settlements Hall of Fame: Medical Malpractice

#6

Case:
Stacey Galette v. Paul Byrne M.D.

Attorney: Ira M. Newman and Edward Sanocki and

Sandford A Rubenstein

Firm: Sanocki, Newman & Turret and Rubenstein

& Rynecki

Date: 1/10/2014

Verdict: $62,000,000

By Phil Albinus

Sometimes routine procedure is anything but routine. In Octo-
ber 2009, Stacey Galette underwent a salpingectomy, which is the
laparoscopic removal of a fallopian tube that contained an ectopic

pregnancy - or a pregnancy that develops outside the uterus. Dr.
Michelle Quinones performed the procedure at Winthrop-University
Hospital under the supervision of Dr. Paul Byrne, a gynecologist.

Afterwards, Galette developed pain in her abdomen but after a few
days was discharged by Dr. Frederic Mon. She returned to the hos-
pital with pain and after a diagnosis of an obstruction in her small

intestine, she was readmitted to the hospital.
niicant hearing loss in both ears. Now she has bilateral hearing
Gallett soon took a turn for the worse. According to her attorney aids,” said Sanocki.
Edward Sanocki, “They perforated the colon, did not realize it and

sewed her up. They never did what they should and take an X ray Along with a colostomy bag, Galette has two prosthetics devices
and CAT scan but instead they sent her home,” said Sanocki. She for her legs and feet. “It’s not just twice as a bad as losing one leg
began suffering from sepsis, and was ultimately admitted after three because when you have one good leg you have that balance point,”

days for repair. “She had peritonitis due to her bowel leaking into said Sanocki. “With two prosthetics for the lower half, it’s like trying
her abdomen.” Sadly, it could have been avoided, said Sanocki. “We to learn how to walk on stilts.”
had testimony from our medical experts who said that if she were

repaired in a few days she could have been patched up and she During the eight-week trial the jury deliberated for three days.
would have been ine.”
“The point was this was a single mother, her daughter was seven
years old at the time. Her parents

are absolutely incredible and her Sadly, that never happened
sisters are incredible as well. They and things went downhill from
“THEY PERFORATED THE COLON, DID NOT REALIZE
testiied as well,” said Sanocki. “This there. During surgery, doctors
IT AND SEWED HER UP. THEY NEVER DID WHAT THEY
is one time where this didn’t require discovered a perforation in
a lot of real talking to the jury. This
Galette’s sigmoid colon and
is something they understood.”
Galette claimed later that the
SHOULD AND TAKE AN X RAY AND CAT SCAN BUT

tear occurred during Quinones’
Despite the testimony and the salpingectomy. During exten-
INSTEAD THEY SENT HER HOME,”
ultimate verdict, the jury did depart sive treatment, Galette suffered

on certain points of the trial. “Some
a catalog of horrors: plummeting
things were ive-one on certain questions. We got what wanted ulti- blood pressure, three cardiac arrests and the beginning of her blood
mately but it wasn’t a runaway jury where they say we’re going to coagulating in her extremities. She soon developed gangrene that

give them everything we have,” said Sanocki. “But every doctor and lead to the amputation of the lower portion of the young woman’s
the hospital was found responsible.”
legs. “Because of the antibiotics, which are autotoxic, she had sig-

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