Sommers and Schwartz attorneys Judith Susskind and Sam Meklir negotiated a $725,000 settlement in a claim for the wrongful death of a 57-year-old woman due to surgical errors.

After she suffered symptoms of a mild stroke or TIA, the patient underwent testing that revealed two aneurysms in her middle cerebral artery. After consulting with a surgeon, she proceeded with a stent-assisted coil embolization of the right middle cerebral artery aneurysm and possible sequential treatment of the left aneurysm.

In this procedure, a surgeon uses a steerable catheter to place tiny coils around an aneurysm, isolating it into a separate sac off of a blood vessel. In some cases, stents or balloons may be used along with the coil. If done correctly, the surgery can prevent an aneurysm from rupturing and restore normal blood flow.

Unfortunately, in this case, the surgeon placed the guidewire and catheter into the wrong blood vessel, perforating an artery and causing massive bleeding in the patient’s brain. Despite multiple emergency surgeries, her condition deteriorated until there was no meaningful hope of recovery. Her family agreed to end life support and donated her organs. She is survived by her husband, three children, and five grandchildren. This lawsuit alleged her death resulted directly from the surgeon’s negligence and medical malpractice. The parties negotiated the settlement after mediation.