Defense Verdict in Wrongful Death Case
William Spratt and Nicholas Spratt successfully defended a cardiologist in a wrongful death lawsuit involving allegations of an undiagnosed anomalous right coronary artery, a rare but potentially treatable condition.
The case involved a young patient who, months before his passing, experienced acute chest pain and dizziness and was referred to the defendant cardiologist for evaluation. The patient underwent an echocardiogram, stress test, and Holter monitoring, with results that did not indicate ischemia.
The plaintiff’s expert argued that a stress echo or nuclear stress test should have been performed, potentially leading to an earlier diagnosis and life-saving treatment.
The defense successfully countered that such tests were not first-line diagnostics for this condition and that, even if performed, they would not have definitively identified the anomaly. Furthermore, evidence was presented that the specific coronary anomaly was not typically treated surgically, reinforcing the position that the standard of care was met.
At trial, the plaintiff sought $2 million in damages, but after careful consideration of the evidence, the jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of the defense.
