Edward Beloyianis was paralyzed at 14 as a result of a spinal operation at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. He died eight years later of complications of the paralysis.
Source New York Times: Jury in the Bronx Awards $45 Million for a Death After Surgery
Yes, and as I have noted previously, the hospital will be appealing this jury verdict:
The hospital said in a statement Friday that its “sympathies and thoughts continue to be with the Beloyianis family,” and that the hospital would appeal, because it believes “the verdict has no basis in law or fact.”
And now what will probably happen is that the hospital lawyers and the family lawyers will try to negotiate a (lower) settlement, rather than allowing the appeals process–which can take a long time–to work its way out. During this time, the family will get no compensation, so rather than fighting for that $45 million, they might wish to settle for less but faster.
One of the negative aspects for us plaintiffs in reading about such huge jury awards is that they plant highly, highly unrealistic expectations when we sue–for, I hope, much less serious an injury. Death is as serious as it gets.