June 17, 2004 - Jury Awards $1.75 Million for Wrongful Death

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A Baltimore County jury has awarded $1.75 million to the family of a woman who died of a pulmonary embolism after undergoing bladder suspension surgery at St. Joseph Medical Center.

According to the complaint, Erma Joyce Pasquinelli, 59, had a history of phlebitis and despite doctors' orders, the nurses failed to put sequential compression stockings on her legs to reduce the risk of clotting. They also failed to get Pasquinelli up and walking around after surgery. She died four days after surgery when a blood clot broke off and traveled to her lungs.

Attorneys representing the Towson hospital called Monday's verdict disappointing and said they are looking into grounds for an appeal. They say the jury couldn't get beyond the sympathy they felt for this family in viewing the facts. The jury also didn't know that the doctors had reached a confidential settlement with the family prior to the trial. The jury didn't even know the doctors had been sued.

After the six-day trial before Baltimore County Circuit Judge Ruth A. Jakubowski, the jury awarded $500,000 to Pasquinelli's estate, $500,000 to her husband and $250,000 to each of their three adult children.