Doctors are supposed to provide competent care to patients; get informed consent before providing treatment; and avoid misdiagnosing patients or performing unnecessary and dangerous medical procedures. Unfortunately, one interventional cardiologist fell way short of fulfilling these obligations when the doctor allegedly put hundreds of unnecessary stents in patients between 2007 and 2009.
The cardiologist performing the unnecessary medical procedures worked at St. Joseph Medical Center in Maryland, which is owned by Catholic Health Initiatives. Our Personal Injury Attorney Baltimore know that more than 500 former patients had an unnecessary stent implanted and that many of those patients have come forward to sue the cardiologist and the medical center. Now, some of these cases recently settled, with the plaintiffs receiving a payout but the doctor not admitting fault.
According to Clinical Advisor, hundreds of patients have filed lawsuits against Catholic Health Initiatives and against the doctor who allegedly implanted unnecessary stints. Plaintiffs report that they are experiencing complications as a result of what the doctor did and they are seeking damages to compensate them for their losses.
Medical malpractice cases can be resolved either through a full court trial with a jury or judge reaching a verdict or through an out-of-court settlement wherein the injured patients get an agreed-upon amount of compensation and give up the right to pursue a lawsuit. Many plaintiffs who are suing the cardiologist and Catholic Health Initiatives made the choice to settle their claim, which is common in malpractice cases. Settlement allows plaintiffs a guaranteed payout without the expensive or uncertainty of a trial.
Clinical Advisor reports that there were 21 plaintiffs involved in the case that settled. The trial in which these plaintiffs were raising their accusations had already begun and had been going on for six weeks before the doctor settled the case. The settlement was proposed and agreed to before the defense put on its side of the case to try to prove that the doctor was not liable.
Cases can settle at any time before a jury or judge renders a verdict, which means that it is not uncommon for plaintiffs and defendants to continue negotiating a settlement after a case has moved into the trial stage. In this case, that is likely what occurred.
