Robert L. McKenna III, Michael R. Pittman, and Andrew J. Wiseman obtain a defense award in a $15 million hypoplastic left heart syndrome case on liability in a bifurcated arbitration

Mr. McKenna and his team obtained a defense award for several pediatric cardiologists and a pediatric anesthesiologist. The case was a very complex medical malpractice action involving care and treatment for a minor claimant with the congenital heart condition hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLSS).

Claimant alleged that the physicians failed to timely diagnose and treat her oxygen desaturations which resulted in a stroke and neurological injury during a cardiac catheterization procedure.

The defense used top experts in the fields of interventional pediatric cardiology and pediatric anesthesia to prevail at the arbitration on the issues of liability and causation. The defendant physicians were also very persuasive that the standard of care was complied with and that nothing different could have been done to alter this child’s outcome.

Although damages were not addressed at the bifurcated arbitration, if liability were to be found, claimant was claiming upwards of $15 million. She would require around the clock care for the remainder of her life and her physical health was comparatively very good.