When doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals make mistakes, their patients are the ones that pay the price. Thankfully, medical malpractice law provides a way for victims of healthcare negligence to receive justice in the form of compensatory damages. For more than 60 years, The Beasley Firm has been one of the leading medical malpractice law firms in the United States.
Our Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers have obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for clients, empowering them to pay off mountains of medical debt and make up for lost wages.
One of the largest medical malpractice verdict in Pennsylvania history.
Vlazny v. Cavarrocci MD et al: One of the largest medical malpractice verdict in Pennsylvania history. This case involved an adult heart surgeon who operated on a baby who required a relatively simple heart surgery. Dr. Cavarrocci was unfamiliar with the tiny anatomy of a very small, premature neonate, and his lack of knowledge caused the baby to suffer severe brain damage and amputation of his arm.
Vlazny v. Cavarrocci MD et al: One of the largest medical malpractice verdict in Pennsylvania history. This case involved an adult heart surgeon who operated on a baby who required a relatively simple heart surgery. Dr. Cavarrocci was unfamiliar with the tiny anatomy of a very small, premature neonate, and his lack of knowledge caused the baby to suffer severe brain damage and amputation of his arm.
2nd largest medical malpractice verdict in history.
Gault v. Norwood: 2nd largest medical malpractice verdict in history. Famous heart surgeon William Norwood performed an unauthorized surgical procedure on Stephen Gault, rendering him severely brain damaged and in permanent need of lifelong care. Norwood operated on a healthy baby's narrow aorta, but performed an unnecessary procedure, stopping the baby's heart and blood flow. Cooling the body too quickly caused irreversible brain damage, leaving the child unable to walk, talk, or care for himself. The $55 million verdict allowed Gault's family to provide him the care he needed.
Gault v. Norwood: 2nd largest medical malpractice verdict in history. Famous heart surgeon William Norwood performed an unauthorized surgical procedure on Stephen Gault, rendering him severely brain damaged and in permanent need of lifelong care. Norwood operated on a healthy baby's narrow aorta, but performed an unnecessary procedure, stopping the baby's heart and blood flow. Cooling the body too quickly caused irreversible brain damage, leaving the child unable to walk, talk, or care for himself. The $55 million verdict allowed Gault's family to provide him the care he needed.
$43.5 million verdict for malpractice against former Eagles captain Chris Maragos.
Maragos v. Bradley, et al: The closely-watched medical malpractice case revolved around a meniscus tear that Maragos' medical team failed to treat and the medically negligent decision to advance his rehab. "This case and this jury may have changed the course of history by now forcing these team doctors and trainers to stop worrying about when a player might return to play and start thinking about the next 50 years of a player’s life,” said Dion G. Rassias, who tried the two week case.
Maragos v. Bradley, et al: The closely-watched medical malpractice case revolved around a meniscus tear that Maragos' medical team failed to treat and the medically negligent decision to advance his rehab. "This case and this jury may have changed the course of history by now forcing these team doctors and trainers to stop worrying about when a player might return to play and start thinking about the next 50 years of a player’s life,” said Dion G. Rassias, who tried the two week case.
Our firm used all its resources to obtain a highly publicized $20.5 million verdict for the family of a teenage woman.
Fledderman v. Glunk: This tragic case came into the firm through the Firm’s founder, Jim Beasley Sr., and involved the unnecessary death of a teenager after an elective liposuction procedure. By the time this case was completed, the Beasley Firm expended over $390,000.00 to investigate this tragedy, generated over 10,000 pages of documents, and spent five weeks on trial. Former Beasley Firm attorneys Slade McLaughlin used their knowledge and the Firm’s resources to obtain a highly publicized $20.5 million verdict for the family of this young woman. At its core, the plastic surgeon failed to acknowledge the woman was suffering from post-operative complications and was having trouble breathing and the CRNA looked the other way why the woman was dying. Justice was served when the jury awarded the $20.5 million on the 7th year anniversary of this woman’s death.
Fledderman v. Glunk: This tragic case came into the firm through the Firm’s founder, Jim Beasley Sr., and involved the unnecessary death of a teenager after an elective liposuction procedure. By the time this case was completed, the Beasley Firm expended over $390,000.00 to investigate this tragedy, generated over 10,000 pages of documents, and spent five weeks on trial. Former Beasley Firm attorneys Slade McLaughlin used their knowledge and the Firm’s resources to obtain a highly publicized $20.5 million verdict for the family of this young woman. At its core, the plastic surgeon failed to acknowledge the woman was suffering from post-operative complications and was having trouble breathing and the CRNA looked the other way why the woman was dying. Justice was served when the jury awarded the $20.5 million on the 7th year anniversary of this woman’s death.
Attorney Barbara Axelrod successfully handled the post-trial appeals in this case, allowing The Beasley Firm to hold on to the verdict.
Dupon v. Holy Redeemer Hospital Verdict: $15 million verdict for a woman who suffered a stroke during carotid artery surgery. Barbara Axelrod successfully handled the post-trial appeals in this case, allowing The Beasley Firm to hold on to the verdict.
Dupon v. Holy Redeemer Hospital Verdict: $15 million verdict for a woman who suffered a stroke during carotid artery surgery. Barbara Axelrod successfully handled the post-trial appeals in this case, allowing The Beasley Firm to hold on to the verdict.
Jim Beasley Jr. was asked to represent a man who was blinded after a heart transplant.
Jones v Lovrinic: $4.4 million verdict: Failure to diagnose tongue cancer.
Jones v Lovrinic: $4.4 million verdict: Failure to diagnose tongue cancer. Bob Jones was an engineer, devoted husband, and father of two daughters. He religiously went to his doctor and was checked for white spots on his tongue, a condition known as …
Jones v Lovrinic: $4.4 million verdict: Failure to diagnose tongue cancer. Bob Jones was an engineer, devoted husband, and father of two daughters. He religiously went to his doctor and was checked for white spots on his tongue, a condition known as …
$4 million settlement: Failure to diagnose a post-operative bleed, and the patient bled to death in the recovery room.
$4 million settlement: Failure to diagnose a post-operative bleed, and the patient bled to death in the recovery room. Joe Ruzzi was a healthy twenty-year-old boy studying to be a chef when he tripped and fell down a flight of stairs. He was fine but …
$4 million settlement: Failure to diagnose a post-operative bleed, and the patient bled to death in the recovery room. Joe Ruzzi was a healthy twenty-year-old boy studying to be a chef when he tripped and fell down a flight of stairs. He was fine but …
$1.45 million settlement: failure to diagnose blood clot after knee replacement surgery. Our client underwent a successful elective knee replacement surgery. On the night following the surgery, she developed a blood clot in her leg that cut off the blood flow to her leg. The night nurse did not come in to see or evaluate the patient all night, and by the time the doctor saw her the next morning, the leg was cold and dying. She required amputation as a result of the nurses’ neglect.
$1.45 million settlement: failure to diagnose blood clot after knee replacement surgery. Our client underwent a successful elective knee replacement surgery. On the night following the surgery, she developed a blood clot in her leg that cut off the blood flow to her leg. The night nurse did not come in to see or evaluate the patient all night, and by the time the doctor saw her the next morning, the leg was cold and dying. She required amputation as a result of the nurses’ neglect.
$1.4 million settlement during trial: Failure to recognize intraoperative bleeding and death. Our client required a pacemaker to be removed from his body because of an infected pacemaker wire. During the procedure, the doctor pulled out the wire and ripped a hole in the patient’s blood vessel, causing internal bleeding. For the next hour, even though the heart rate and blood pressure were becoming increasingly abnormal, the doctors never called a heart surgeon to help stop the bleeding. The patient, a father of two, died on the procedure table. After a few days of trial, the defendants settled for $1.4 million.
$1.4 million settlement during trial: Failure to recognize intraoperative bleeding and death. Our client required a pacemaker to be removed from his body because of an infected pacemaker wire. During the procedure, the doctor pulled out the wire and ripped a hole in the patient’s blood vessel, causing internal bleeding. For the next hour, even though the heart rate and blood pressure were becoming increasingly abnormal, the doctors never called a heart surgeon to help stop the bleeding. The patient, a father of two, died on the procedure table. After a few days of trial, the defendants settled for $1.4 million.
$1.4 million settlement: failure to diagnose and treat a parotid tumor resulting in recurrence and metastases to the brain. Our client’s husband repeatedly went to the ears, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor complaining of a lump by his ear, yet the doctor did nothing. Unfortunately, by the time the parotid tumor was diagnosed, cancer has spread to his brain causing horrible pain and suffering until he died.
$1.4 million settlement: failure to diagnose and treat a parotid tumor resulting in recurrence and metastases to the brain. Our client’s husband repeatedly went to the ears, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor complaining of a lump by his ear, yet the doctor did nothing. Unfortunately, by the time the parotid tumor was diagnosed, cancer has spread to his brain causing horrible pain and suffering until he died.
$1 million settlement: failure to diagnose a heart attack. Our client went to the emergency room with chest pain and sweating, which are classic symptoms of a heart attack. Even though the ER doctor called a cardiologist, the heart doctor didn’t show up for hours. The patient had a heart attack while waiting for treatment in the hospital’s emergency room.
$1 million settlement: failure to diagnose a heart attack. Our client went to the emergency room with chest pain and sweating, which are classic symptoms of a heart attack. Even though the ER doctor called a cardiologist, the heart doctor didn’t show up for hours. The patient had a heart attack while waiting for treatment in the hospital’s emergency room.
$1 million settlement: Failure to diagnose ovarian cancer. Our client always had a fear she would get ovarian cancer, and as a result, religiously went to the gynecologist for tests. And even though this specialist was seeing the cysts on her ovaries growing and becoming “complex” (a dangerous finding for ovarian cancer) no further testing was ever ordered. Ultimately, our client developed her worst nightmare – ovarian cancer. The defendant paid $1 million to settle the case to avoid a trial.
$1 million settlement: Failure to diagnose ovarian cancer. Our client always had a fear she would get ovarian cancer, and as a result, religiously went to the gynecologist for tests. And even though this specialist was seeing the cysts on her ovaries growing and becoming “complex” (a dangerous finding for ovarian cancer) no further testing was ever ordered. Ultimately, our client developed her worst nightmare – ovarian cancer. The defendant paid $1 million to settle the case to avoid a trial.
$1 million settlement: failure to diagnose a brain tumor. Our client was complaining of headaches and underwent a brain scan or CT scan of the brain. The radiologist misread the film, so the brain tumor continued to grow to the point that it became an incurable and inoperable brain cancer.
$1 million settlement: failure to diagnose a brain tumor. Our client was complaining of headaches and underwent a brain scan or CT scan of the brain. The radiologist misread the film, so the brain tumor continued to grow to the point that it became an incurable and inoperable brain cancer.
$850,000 settlement: improper pelvic surgery causing incontinence. Our client required surgery to repair a fistula in between her vagina and her rectum. Rather than correcting this connection (the fistula), the surgeon caused her to become incontinent of stool or feces, which passed through her vagina requiring her to undergo four additional surgeries to repair the mistake.
$850,000 settlement: improper pelvic surgery causing incontinence. Our client required surgery to repair a fistula in between her vagina and her rectum. Rather than correcting this connection (the fistula), the surgeon caused her to become incontinent of stool or feces, which passed through her vagina requiring her to undergo four additional surgeries to repair the mistake.
$800,000 verdict: Damage to eye muscles causing permanent strabismus during sinus surgery. Dave Moncrief was a graphic designer who started to suffer from headaches. He went to his doctor, who suggested he see an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) doctor to see if it was his sinuses that were causing his head pain. Even though the CT scan of his sinuses was basically normal, the doctor operated on his sinuses anyway. During the operation the doctor pushed the bone scraper through the sinus bone and into Dave Moncrief’s right eye socket, grabbing an eye muscle and causing damage to the nerve that controlled his eye movement. Mr. Moncrief was left with permanent double vision and an eye that always points to the right side. The case was brought in Chester County, a very conservative county that hasn’t had a favorable plaintiff malpractice verdict in years, and the firm got Dave and his wife an $800,000.00 verdict.
$800,000 verdict: Damage to eye muscles causing permanent strabismus during sinus surgery. Dave Moncrief was a graphic designer who started to suffer from headaches. He went to his doctor, who suggested he see an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) doctor to see if it was his sinuses that were causing his head pain. Even though the CT scan of his sinuses was basically normal, the doctor operated on his sinuses anyway. During the operation the doctor pushed the bone scraper through the sinus bone and into Dave Moncrief’s right eye socket, grabbing an eye muscle and causing damage to the nerve that controlled his eye movement. Mr. Moncrief was left with permanent double vision and an eye that always points to the right side. The case was brought in Chester County, a very conservative county that hasn’t had a favorable plaintiff malpractice verdict in years, and the firm got Dave and his wife an $800,000.00 verdict.
Friedman v. Terrance Malloy, M.D.: $650,000 verdict: Failure to properly insert a penis implant and failure to diagnose.
Friedman v. Terrance Malloy, M.D.: $650,000 verdict: Failure to properly insert a penis implant and failure to diagnose. We represented a physician who suffered from impotence after having his prostate removed. He and his wife waited five years to be …
Friedman v. Terrance Malloy, M.D.: $650,000 verdict: Failure to properly insert a penis implant and failure to diagnose. We represented a physician who suffered from impotence after having his prostate removed. He and his wife waited five years to be …
$500,000 settlement during trial: Failure to diagnose testicular torsion and loss of testicle. Our client went to the hospital with pain in his left testicle, but when he went there, rather than a doctor reading the ultrasound images and results to see if his testicle was twisted, a tech interpreted the scan. Unfortunately, the technician misread the images and it led to a failure to diagnose and treat a testicle that was twisted. The delay in diagnosing the testicular torsion and lack of blood flow to the testicle caused our client to lose his testicle. We tried this case for only a few days before the defendants paid $500,000.00 to settle the case.
$500,000 settlement during trial: Failure to diagnose testicular torsion and loss of testicle. Our client went to the hospital with pain in his left testicle, but when he went there, rather than a doctor reading the ultrasound images and results to see if his testicle was twisted, a tech interpreted the scan. Unfortunately, the technician misread the images and it led to a failure to diagnose and treat a testicle that was twisted. The delay in diagnosing the testicular torsion and lack of blood flow to the testicle caused our client to lose his testicle. We tried this case for only a few days before the defendants paid $500,000.00 to settle the case.
In a Pennsylvania medical malpractice case, our firm obtained a confidential six-figure arbitration award on behalf of a mother who sustained life-altering and catastrophic injuries during an emergent C-Section, as a direct result of her obstetrician’s negligence.
In a Pennsylvania medical malpractice case, our firm obtained a confidential six-figure arbitration award on behalf of a mother who sustained life-altering and catastrophic injuries during an emergent C-Section, as a direct result of her obstetrician’s negligence.
In a Pennsylvania medical malpractice case, our firm obtained a confidential six-figure settlement on behalf of a wife and her late husband, who died as a result of a hospital’s failure to administer his anticoagulant medication.
In a Pennsylvania medical malpractice case, our firm obtained a confidential six-figure settlement on behalf of a wife and her late husband, who died as a result of a hospital’s failure to administer his anticoagulant medication.
Confidential 7-figure settlement for a woman who underwent a double mastectomy. When her breasts were removed the lump was found to be benign.
Confidential 7-figure settlement for a woman who underwent a double mastectomy. When her breasts were removed the lump was found to be benign.
The Beasley Firm is fortunate to have two MD/JDs as trial lawyers, Jim Beasley, Jr. and Marsha Santangelo. Jim is routinely included in the Super Lawyers® list and named as one of the "Best Lawyers in America." And while many firms claim to have MD/JD attorneys on staff, The Beasley Firm’s MD/JDs consistently try cases and obtain exceptional results due to the expansive knowledge in both law and medicine. With over $2 billion won since 1958, our clients can trust in our thorough approach, history of success, and dependability.
Because of our success and record-breaking efforts in this field, our firm was recognized in "Best Law Firms" in the area of medical malpractice, a prestigious recognition based on thorough evaluation.
Work with our nationally-recognized firm to pursue the just compensation you deserve. Call (215) 866-2424 for a free case evaluation.
Gault v. Norwood: 2nd largest medical malpractice verdict in history. The Beasley Firm obtained this record setting verdict just weeks after being awarded the $100 million verdict. This case was against the world famous cardiothoracic heart surgeon, William Norwood, M.D., who performed an unauthorized surgical procedure on Stephen Gault, rendering him severely brain damaged and in permanent need of lifelong care. A beautiful little boy was born healthy, with a small narrowing in the aorta, the blood vessel that leaves the baby’s heart and goes to the body.
This condition is known as a “Coarctation of the Aorta” and it requires a simple operation through the rib cage to easily correct it. He also had a small hole in his heart that was closing on its own and all of his doctors reported it was a non-issue. Stephen was taken to the pediatric heart surgeon to repair the Aorta, but instead of doing the procedure that the parents were told was going to be done, the doctor did an additional procedure to also fix the hole in the child’s heart. That procedure required the doctors stop the baby’s heart and also stop all blood flow in his body.
To do this they had to cool his body to about 55 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure the body was cold and to protect the brain. Unfortunately when they cooled him they did it too fast and the brain was still warm when the blood flow was stopped. When they woke him up after the surgery, he had a massive seizure that left him unable to walk, talk, see or care for himself. We obtained a $55 million verdict on behalf of this child to ensure he would always be cared for.
Not every poor medical outcome is the result of medical malpractice. In order for your injuries to qualify for a medical malpractice lawsuit, you need to be able to prove the following:
The Beasley Firm has handled hundreds of cases involving the negligence of doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, OB/GYNs, sports medicine professionals, and hospital staff. Our Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers know what it takes to win these cases and have the dedication to pursue maximum damages for our clients.
Medical malpractice or medical negligence means that a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider, acted in a way that deviated from the accepted standards of care, and that act or omission by the healthcare provider caused injury or death to a patient.
Victims of medical malpractice can sue the doctor, nurse, surgeon, physician assistant (PA), anesthesiologist, OB doctor, midwife, pharmacist or nurse practitioner for acts of negligence. Additionally, an injured patient may also be able to sue the hospital, nursing home, physician practice group, medical teaching facility, or other corporate entities associated with those medical providers.
Most plaintiff law firms handling injury cases will not charge you any money upfront to represent you. If you should receive an award, settlement or verdict, the attorney will subtract what it cost to work up your case and a small percentage fee upon conclusion of the case. If no award was received, you do not owe anything. The Beasley Firm operates on a contingency fee basis.
Medical errors are one of the leading causes of death in the United States, making it an epidemic in terms of national health care and patient safety. Some acts are even called “never events” because they should never happen. Unfortunately, errors in diagnosis, treatment and management can and do occur with frequency. Here are a few reasons why medical malpractice occurs:
There are several situations that would lead an individual to file a medical malpractice claim. Although no two cases are exactly alike, most medical malpractice claims will fall into one of these categories:
No matter how complex the case, our skilled medical malpractice attorneys in Philadelphia are more than capable of handling it. We believe in accomplishing the impossible here at The Beasley Firm and have the resources and experience to do it.
Doctors and hospitals have large insurance companies with extensive resources fighting against you, which is why you need a legal team that has a formidable reputation and a history of excellence. The Beasley Firm has been fighting for the rights of clients in Pennsylvania since 1958, and have consistently obtained some of the largest medical malpractice verdicts and settlements in the United States.
Schedule a free consultation of your case by calling (215) 866-2424.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.