What Is the Average Amount of Most Medical Malpractice Settlements or Verdicts?
The truth is, there is no short or easy answer to this question. Medical negligence settlements and verdicts vary widely because every patient’s care and outcome are different. Each state has different laws governing medical malpractice claims. Medical lawsuit settlements and verdicts also differ based on the severity of the injury caused by the healthcare provider. For example, a sepsis malpractice settlement based on delay of diagnosis and treatment will differ significantly depending on whether the patient makes a full recovery compared to requiring amputations of their arms and legs.
Despite these variances, as the top Michigan medical malpractice lawyers we’d like to share a few medical malpractice settlements in Michigan from 2023, as well as a few verdicts. This helps our clients and potential clients better understand the possible compensation they may seek if they decide to investigate a medical malpractice claim.
Medical Malpractice Settlements and Verdicts in Michigan
We’re breaking down a few medical malpractice cases and settlements and verdicts within the state of Michigan to better understand the possible compensation for medical negligence settlements. Take a look at the groups below as we compare some case similarities and differences.
Group A: Medical Malpractice Settlements & Verdicts
Intubation Tube Placed Incorrectly – $1.314 Million Michigan Settlement. Estate of Anonymous Patient v. Anonymous Health Care Provider.
Post-op Administration of Dilaudid Violated Doctor’s Orders – Kidney Injuries – $1 Million Michigan Settlement. Anonymous Patient v. Anonymous Hospital.
“Classic symptoms” of DVT Untreated – $1 Million Michigan Settlement. Estate of Anonymous Patient v. Anonymous Defendant.
These are medical malpractice settlements that display miscommunications, lack of awareness, and generally just bad medical care. Healthcare providers are required to follow a certain “standard of care” when interacting with patients, and if that standard is breached, they can be held liable within the justice system.
As you can see, a couple of these cases were filed by the ‘Estate of the Patient’— these are called wrongful death settlements in Michigan. This means a patient’s family filed the lawsuit on their behalf after they passed away. These medical negligence settlements or verdicts can sometimes be higher. For example, if the patient was the sole income provider for the household, the settlement could potentially compensate for the wages that would have been earned if the patient had survived. These settlements can assist families of patients who have passed with funeral costs, past medical bills, and more.
Group B: Verdicts in Favor of Medical Providers
Failure to Delay Surgery Blamed for Death – Michigan Jury sides with Hospitalist. Smith as PR of Juszkowski v. Mark Stephen.
Alleged Failure to Respond to Bloody Stools – Michigan Jury Finds in Favor of Nurse Practitioner, Extended Care Facility. Brian Jensen, as PR of the Estate of James Jensen v. Karen Frank, NP and InPatient Consultants.
These medical malpractice lawsuits exhibit the cases in which the justice system sided with the medical provider, or the defendant. A poor interaction with a medical professional doesn’t necessarily mean medical negligence was committed. Surgery is especially dangerous—all surgeries come with their own set of risks—just because a patient has a bad outcome does not mean malpractice occurred.
We think it’s important to be honest that not everyone who believes they’ve suffered from alleged medical malpractice in Michigan wins their case. Although, the Hoffer & Sheremet law team have only lost one case to defendants since becoming medical malpractice plaintiff’s attorneys. Contacting the best medical malpractice lawyers in Michigan will help you get started in assessing what happened to you or your loved one and whether you have a valid claim.
Group C: Medical Negligence Settlements & Verdicts
Failure to Run CBC Blamed for Cardiac Arrest – $4.5 Million Michigan Settlement. Anonymous Urgent Care Patient v. Anonymous Urgent Care Facility.
Failure to Timely Treat Respiratory Distress Syndrome – Paraplegia $7.5 Million Michigan Settlement. Anonymous Minor v. Anonymous Neonatal Care Team Members.
Spinal Injury Blamed on Improper Incision, Excessive Force During Delivery – $6.5 Million Michigan Settlement. Doe, a minor by and through his conservator, John Doe v. XYZ Health System, et al.
Disability Following ‘Experimental Surgery’ – $17.34 Million Michigan Verdict. Nelson v. Comprehensive Pain Solutions PLLC and Jeffery Mark Rosenberg.
As shown above, medical negligence settlements and verdicts have a wide range when it comes to financial compensation. This is due to the differences in severity of the many outcomes that can be caused by medical malpractice, as well as the degree of negligence and the strength of the causal connection between the negligence and the injury. For example, paraplegia means the lower half of the body, most likely both legs, are affected. This outcome likely means the minor patient will not be able to use their legs and will need lifelong care, like financial assistance, to accommodate for this injury. If it were not for the failure of the Neonatal Care Team Members to recognize and timely treat the respiratory distress symptoms, the patient may not have suffered from paraplegia. Hence, the over seven-million-dollar amount of this medical malpractice settlement in Michigan. Patients that are minors are typically compensated more as their injuries began earlier in life and birth complications can lead to expensive medical care for the rest of a child’s life.
However, Group C’s verdicts and malpractice lawsuit settlements are exceptional. Michigan is a state that has a ‘cap’ on what we call ‘non-economic damages’ within all medical malpractice cases. These damages include things like pain & suffering, mental anguish, or physical disfigurement. The ‘cap’ on these damages means that no matter how much a jury awards to a plaintiff for their ‘non-economic damages,’ the Court will limit this amount to a low cap of $569,000 or a high cap of $1,016,000. The high cap is only applicable in certain scenarios. Read more at our blog here. This is unfair to patients, as it puts an arbitrary compensation limit on the suffering they’ve endured.
Contact Michigan Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Our top medical malpractice attorneys in Michigan get you every advantage so you can get the best malpractice lawsuit settlement or verdict possible for your claim. Reach out to us today to discuss your potential medical malpractice case.
The expert attorneys at Hoffer & Sheremet are ready to investigate your possible medical negligence claim. With almost 40 years of combined experience, Aubri and Stephanie know how to argue your case and are ready to help you secure the best medical malpractice settlement in Michigan for your case. Call us today at 616.278.0888, no appointment necessary, or fill out our completely FREE consultation form. We’re ready to hear what happened to you or your family member. Our Michigan medical malpractice attorneys are here to listen.