Attorney James C. Lewis's Legal Cases

Medical malpractice

Injury from a Failed Back Surgery

N/A

OUTCOME: $1.25 million

What happened: MH was a 61-year-old with back pain radiating down her left leg. She went to defendant neurosurgeon who advised her that she needed low back disc surgery. When he performed the surgery ... , he failed to properly control the surgical instruments and allowed one of them to cut three vessels in the plaintiff's abdomen, causing extensive internal bleeding. A repair of the damaged vessels by a vascular surgeon was attempted but was not successful. MH ultimately lost both her legs. Key legal strategy: Five highly qualified experts were quickly retained to support the plaintiff's case. In addition, it was anticipated that the doctor's attorneys would try to blame the vascular surgeon for the poor outcome. For this reason, the attorneys representing MH retained a vascular surgeon known to be a favorite witness of defense counsel to help support the plaintiff's case. Accordingly, when he was contacted by the doctor's attorneys, he could not assist them in the defense of the case.

Medical malpractice

Injury from a Prescription Drug Error

N/A

OUTCOME: $200,000

What Happened: W. W. was a 61 year-old man generally in a state of good health. He developed swelling in his left ankle that was determined to be a venous clot. His vascular surgeon gave him a prescr ... iption for Coumadin, a blood thinner, to be taken in doses of 10 mg. per day. When the pharmacist filled the prescription, W. W. was instructed by the pharmacist to take 25 mg. per day. Two days later, he suffered a massive rectal hemorrhage and required three hospitalizations to resolve the injury. Key Legal Strategy: A highly-qualified pharmacological poison expert was quickly retained to support the plaintiff's case. His expert opinions could not be effectively attacked by the defense. In addition, W. W. and his wife made extremely good witnesses so the case was put into mediation so that the pharmacy's defense team could have enough time with W. W. and his wife to realize how effective they would be on the witness stand.

Brain injury

$21 Million Structured Settlement for Child Who Suffered Brain Injury

N/A

OUTCOME: http://www.hsinjurylaw.com/case_results/21-million-settlement-stream-for-child-s-brain-injury-virginia-beach-family-s-car-rear-ende.cfm

My colleague and I successfully secured a $21 million guaranteed structured settlement, with a present value of $5.5 million in 2012 for a young child and her parents, after she suffered a traumatic br ... ain injury in a car accident caused by a truck driver who smashed in to the family’s car. We worked tirelessly to develop the evidence with a goal of conveying the magnitude of the wreck and subsequent injuries, once the brain MRI’s showed frontal lobe brain damage, as the treating neuropsychiatrist explained that this would cause profound, permanent brain function deficits. We developed the evidence for over three years, which included coordination of the neuro-psychiatrist, doctors, therapists, educational professionals, nurses, a life care planner and others. Just two months before trial we engaged in a day long mediation with a retired Judge. In order to bring home the magnitude of the harm to the truck driver’s employer and the insurers we worked up a multi-media presentation which included dramatic 911 audiotape, scene damage photos, videotape of our young client, as well as numerous three dimensional brain images, which were approved by the neuro-psychiatrist in advance. We established a short term medical needs trust and a long term guaranteed $21 million structured settlement to make sure our client's medical care and financial needs would be met.

James C. Lewis's Legal Cases (3)

Injury from a Failed Back Surgery

Injury from a Prescription Drug Error

$21 Million Structured Settlement for Child Who Suffered Brain Injury