And the Defense Wins!

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And The Defense Wins

Published 9-3-14 by DRI

Amanda Waddell and John Alexander

Amanda Waddell and John Alexander, both with the Memphis, Tennessee law firm of Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell, PLC, successfully defended an emergency department physician in Shelby County, Tennessee’s circuit court. The 68–year-old plaintiff arrived at the emergency department complaining of severe tongue swelling. The physician’s diagnosis was angioedema. Although he responded promptly by administering antihistamines and two doses of steroids, the swelling worsened. To prevent airway collapse, the physician ordered epinephrine. The patient then suffered a coronary vasospasm, a known but rare side effect of the medication.

The plaintiff sued the physician, claiming that her condition did not worsen in the emergency department and that because of her age and the risks associated with epinephrine, the physician should not have administered the medicine. The plaintiff also contended that the coronary vasospasm caused her to suffer a myocardial infarction.

But the physician contended that the life-saving benefits of epinephrine outweighed the low risk of a coronary vasospasm and disputed her allegation that she suffered a myocardial infarction. During the trial, the jury heard testimony from three defense experts. After deliberating for approximately 30 minutes, the jury returned a unanimous verdict finding that the physician’s administering the epinephrine did not violate the recognized standard of acceptable professional practice.

To learn more about DRI, an international membership organization of attorneys defending the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation, visit    www.dri.org.

For a PDF version of this document click the link:    9-3-14_waddell_alexander

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