$7 Million Awarded in NY Malpractice Case

The jury has returned a verdict in a tragic case of medical malpractice, in which Theresa Capwell lost her life at the hands of negligent doctors who failed to diagnose her inflamed pancreas.

She left behind three small children.

According to the family’s attorney, not only did the hospital staff treating Capwell fail to diagnose her condition, but they also missed several other opportunities to save her life.  Overlooking the obvious symptoms of pancreatitis, doctors instead wasted two weeks looking for cancer that did not exist.

Ultimately Capwell was placed on a breathing machine, which caused problems with her lungs that prevented proper oxygen intake.  Multiple physicians had ordered that Theresa be given a chest tube to assist her breathing.  Unfortunately, that procedure was never performed.

Because of this blatant oversight, the young mother of three went into cardiac arrest and her brain was deprived of oxygen for more than 10 minutes.  After lying in a coma for a year, Capwell died.

After a three week trial, the jury deliberated for 24 hours before returning their verdict.  The $7 million award is to be split up, with $3 million going to Capwell’s daughters and the remaining $4 million to her surviving husband.