Georgia Jury Awards Family $17M for Hospital Malpractice

April 19, 2013

A DeKalb County family has been awarded more than $17 million in after a jury found a physician’s assistant liable for causing a man’s brain injury.

Sheriod Merritt was hit by a stray bullet in a shooting and was taken to Grady Hospital for surgery. His parents said he was in a coma when they came to pick him up.

The Merritt’s attorney said an Emory University anesthesiologist and a Grady physician’s assistant didn’t follow proper procedures when Merritt was coming out of surgery. A civil complaint alleged Merritt went without oxygen for seven to eight minutes.

Grady spokeswoman Denise Simpson told WSB-TV that Merritt violently awoke from anesthesia and fought with medical personnel. In the process, she said his breathing tube came dislodged. The hospital is appealing the ruling.

Topics Georgia

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Latest Comments

  • May 15, 2013 at 2:24 pm
    Safety Guy says:
    He may have become combative, but the hospital staff should have ensured the breathing tube, and any other tube that they had in him, remained intact and was functing properly... read more
  • April 26, 2013 at 2:02 pm
    Huh! says:
    My son was combative while in a coma. Hospital personnel do their best. A $17M award is excessive.
  • April 19, 2013 at 1:42 pm
    Chris Wojo says:
    Alabama? I'm pretty certain this is in Georgia...

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