$22 Million Medical Malpractice Verdict

A Menlo park woman who was left a quadriplegic as a result of medical malpractice was awarded $22 million in damages by a local jury. According to Mercury News, “Doctors at the medical foundation ordered an angiogram on Oct. 20, 2006, to investigate an abnormal vein in the brain of Robyn Frankel, who was seeking treatment for migraines. The vein, however, had nothing to do with the migraines and the angiogram wasn’t necessary, Mitchell said.
When dye for the angiogram was injected into the blood vessels of her brain, Frankel suffered a vasospasm and fell into a coma. She was a quadriplegic when she woke up roughly two weeks later.
A Santa Clara County jury found that “negligence was a substantial factor in causing harm to Robyn Frankel.” The jurors delivered the verdict based in no small part on the unnecessary medical procedure.
Since Frankel is now disabled, the award will cover past and future medical expenses.