South Carolina Lawyer Blog

Sono Bello Body Contour Center, a cosmetic clinic in Bellevue, Washington, has agreed to pay $1.8 million to the family of a bride-to-be who went to the clinic for liposuction in May 2009 and died hours later. The 28-year-old went to the clinic for the procedure then checked into a nearby hotel to recover. The hotel maids found the woman's body the next morning. The King County Medical Examiner ruled that she died from "acute lidocaine intoxication."

Lidocaine is a nerve blocker that is pumped into the body to suppress pain during liposuction. When a representative from the Society of Plastic Surgeons was asked by KING 5 News to interpret the levels of lidocaine found, she said they were “really, really high, stratospheric high.”

In the settlement neither Sono Bello nor the doctor, admitted any wrongdoing. The family's lawyer said that Sono Bello offered a higher, undisclosed amount if they would keep the settlement confidential. The family refused to do so and accepted a lower amount.

Since this death, the state of Washington now requires all clinics to be accredited by one of four national agencies. Prior to this case, cosmetic clinics were not licensed or inspected. In addition, the health department has charged the doctor who performed the procedure with unprofessional conduct and delivering medical care below state standards. His hearing is scheduled for November.

A “wrongful death” is a death caused by the carelessness (negligence) or misconduct of another person or organization. The Louthian Law Firm has vast experience in pursuing wrongful death lawsuits. Call us today at 1-800-410-5656 for a free evaluation of your unique case.

Woman Dies After Liposuction Procedure
Settlement Reached in Wrongful Death

A San Diego Navy Veteran who was diagnosed in 2010 with mesothelioma, an asbestos-caused cancer, was awarded $2.4 million in damages after his disease was found to be attributed to his work in ship boiler rooms.

The lawsuit, filed against John Crane, Inc., claimed the plaintiff was exposed to asbestos while serving in the Navy from 1961 to 1971 in his work in the maintenance and repair of boilers, pumps and valves. The suit claimed John Crane made some of the asbestos-containing packing material and gaskets in the equipment.

The total damages of about $2.4 million include nearly $1.4 million in noneconomic damages and $450,000 for loss of consortium. The jury found John Crane five percent liable, the Navy and insulation companies 57 percent at fault, some manufacturers and suppliers 37 percent at fault. The plaintiff himself was found to be one percent at fault.

The plaintiffs have settled with or dismissed 20 other parties named in the suit.

Mesothelioma and other respiratory diseases have been linked to the inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers. This usually occurs by breathing air contaminated with microscopic asbestos fibers, often in workplaces where asbestos was manufactured or used as building material. If you or a loved one is suffering from an asbestos-related disease, contact the experienced attorneys today at the Louthian Law Firm at 1-866-454-1200 or online for a free evaluation of your case.

Mesothelioma Case

The Des Moines Register reports that the state of Iowa has settled a lawsuit filed against the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics after a young girl went to the hospital in 2007 for a stomach surgery, and had to have her leg amputated after she developed compartment syndrome.

The state will pay $875,000 to the now 16-year-old girl who had her right leg amputated and her left leg now suffers a permanent foot drop. The suit alleged that the girl’s legs were elevated for over 10 hours causing increased pressure to build in her leg muscle compartments leading to muscle and nerve damage.

The hospital is overseen by the Iowa Board of Regents and the State Appeals Board had to approve the settlement.

The Columbia, SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 866-454-1200 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

The family of an elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson's disease and several other conditions, received $91.5 million in damages from a Charleston, West Virginia nursing home. The elderly woman was a patient for just three weeks at Heartland of Charleston nursing home where the workers failed to feed and care for her leading to her death just one day after transferring to another facility.

The lawsuit alleged that while living with her son, the woman's health had improved to where she could walk, speak and recognize family members. However, when she was checked into Heartland the staff confined the woman to a wheelchair, labeling her a fall risk.

The family’s lawyer argued that Heartland did not have enough staff to properly care for the woman and the other patients. Some former Heartland workers testified properly caring for all of the residents was impossible.

Heartland of Charleston is owned by ManorCare Inc, the parent company named in the lawsuit.

Many experts estimate nursing home patient neglect or abuse is grossly underreported. If you or someone you care about has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, contact a qualified nursing home injury attorney at Louthian Law Firm today. Call toll free at (866) 454-1200 or use our online contact form for a free evaluation of your case.

Nursing Home Neglect

Two women, who suffered permanent injuries after an automobile accident with an assistant district attorney in Los Angeles who was driving drunk, agreed to a $1.2 million settlement in a civil lawsuit against the woman. The two women had already been awarded more than $1 million in compensatory damages by a jury.

The assistant DA had a BAC of .26, more than three times the legal limit, and admitted that she knew she was drunk. She decided to drive anyway in hopes that she would get home without getting caught. In the April 2010 accident, she rear-ended the two women near Long Beach, CA resulting in one woman suffering back injuries, facial scars and lost teeth, and the other suffering from back injuries.

The women had sought $2 million, but agreed to the settlement to avoid a second trial and to get immediate payment.

If you have suffered a personal injury or lost a loved one in an automobile accident caused by a drunk driver, the attorneys at Louthian Law Firm can help. Call us for a free consultation at 1-866-454-1200.

DUI Settlement

The Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida paid $650,000 to settle a lawsuit against a man with a "retained foreign object and medication error." The man also reached a confidential settlement against two radiologists.

The now 68-year-old man was admitted to the hospital in October 2009 to undergo surgery for diverticulitis. His recovery was slow, and after five months he was in more pain than prior to his surgery. He went back to the doctor and had several X-rays and CT scans before the surgeon and gastrointestinal doctor found a sponge in his stomach that had been left behind during surgery.

The man declined further treatment at Good Samaritan and went to another hospital to have the sponge removed and a portion of his intestines, due to perforation. The man also received an incorrect dosage of blood pressure medicine, however, he did not have any lasting issues over that error.

The doctor, two radiologists and the hospital were all sued for the errors. A settlement with the doctor is still pending.

The Columbia, SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients. Call us at 1-866-454-1200 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice

A settlement was reached over a February auto accident in Whiteford Township, Michigan where three people were killed in a head-on crash. The family of one of the deceased, the driver of a Jeep, will be paid $250,000 by the husband of the driver of a Ford F-250 pickup that lost control on an icy road and crashed into the Jeep.

Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the Jeep was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The family that filed the lawsuit agreed to settle the suit for the $250,000 limit on the insurance policy. Their attorney subsequently agreed to limit his attorney fees to $20,000, as opposed to a third of the settlement that is standard practice.

The award will be divided among the wife and four children.

If you have suffered a personal injury or lost a loved one in an automobile accident, the attorneys at Louthian Law Firm can help. Call us for a free consultation at 1-866-454-1200.

Car Accident Settlement

The family of two children that died in November 2006 in a head-on collision on Highway 12 near Fairfield, California has been awarded $29.2 million by a Solano County jury. The driver of an SUV crossed the center line and slammed into the oncoming passenger car leaving the two children dead, one child paralyzed from the waist down and the mother, and driver of the car, in the hospital for 2 months recovering from her injuries.

The driver of the SUV was traveling close to 80 MPH and attempted to pass two vehicles in a no-passing zone. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison. He was found 65% liable in the case, but due to his limited insurance coverage the state will pay the majority of the award.

The state was found 35% responsible in the case for unsafe conditions on the roadway. Since 1994 there have been 100 crossover collisions, and more than 40 deaths on the same stretch of road as this accident, according to the victim's attorney. Caltrans had identified the road as hazardous in the late 1990's but did not improve the roadway until 2007.

Due to a California law governing suits against multiple defendants, victims can recover their economic losses from a "deep pocket" defendant like the state, in this case. The state may end up liable for $20 million.

If you have been in an accident, it’s important to make sure you understand your legal rights. You may be able to recover money for medical bills, lost wages, funeral costs, as well as compensation for wrongful death or permanent disability. Contact the experienced car accident attorneys at the Louthian Law Firm for a free evaluation of your case at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online consultation form.

Auto Accident Lawsuit

A former University of Utah football player has filed a product liability lawsuit against the makers of the Stryker pain pump after claiming use of the pump after shoulder surgery resulted in permanent shoulder damage.

The man developed chondrolysis, severe loss of cartilage in the joint, and his lawsuit claims Stryker Corp. should have known about the risk of cartilage problems associated with the use of their pain pumps. The suit claims that the treating doctor would not have used the pump for pain management had he been aware of the risk of chondrolysis.

In 2009 FDA required manufacturers of pain pumps to add warnings about the risk of chondrolysis from shoulder pain pumps. Several other shoulder pain pump lawsuits have been filed claiming chondrolysis-related injuries.

If you have suffered a personal injury or lost a loved one due to a defective product, the attorneys at Louthian Law Firm can help. Call us for a free consultation at 866-454-1200.

Dangerous Pharmaceutical Product