A jury has ordered Emory University Hospital to pay $38.6 million to the family of a young patient who died following a heart transplant.
WSB-TV in Atlanta detailed the incident, noting that it is seen as one of the largest amounts the hospital has ever had to pay for a medical malpractice case.
The 20-year-old patient underwent the heart transplant in 2017, nearly dying in the operating room. He remained on life support until Christmas Day, when he passed away. The prosecutors brought in medical experts and successfully presented a case that Emory’s clinicians could have avoided the incident had they performed a chest CT exam before the heart transplant. Emory’s attorneys said it was not standard practice to perform a pre-surgery chest CT, but the jury still ultimately ruled in the family’s favor.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time,” an Emory spokesperson said in a statement to WSB-TV. “We will continue our mission of providing high-quality, compassionate care to all patients who come to our facilities.”
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Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.