$23 MILLION VERDICT FOR DELAYED DIAGNOSIS OF ENCEPHALITIS

A 36-year-old successful business woman was found by her mother to be confused and lethargic. As her mother drove her to the nearest emergency room, she developed a droop on one side of her face, strongly suggesting a potential disease process in the brain. Tragically, the emergency room staff delayed the proper treatment until after she had suffered a profound brain injury. A Raynes & Lawn team led by Tim Lawn and Stephen Raynes convinced the jury that viral encephalitis should have been high on the doctor’s list of potential diagnoses shortly after her arrival at the hospital. By presenting the testimony of highly respected doctors, Lawn and Raynes persuaded the jury that time was of the essence, and that a timely first dose of medication could have stopped reproduction of the virus before it caused a permanent brain injury. The result achieved allowed this family to provide for their daughter’s needs over the remainder of her life.