Legal Alerts

Brian Burge & Ryan Niehaus Secure Defense Verdict for Anesthesiologist

Brian Burge and Ryan Niehaus recently secured a defense verdict on behalf of an anesthesiologist and nurse anesthetist in a jury trial held in St. Charles County, MO.  The plaintiff alleged he suffered a severe allergic reaction following a shoulder surgery despite informing his providers of both a latex and adhesive allergy before the operation.  Suit was filed against the hospital staff, orthopedic surgeon and anesthesia providers for failing to prevent exposure to known allergens during surgery.  At trial, the defense team established that the anesthesia providers documented and announced the patient’s allergies prior to surgery all in keeping with the standard of care.  The defense also focused on the likelihood that the patient’s reaction was caused by a surgical glue that was a necessary and unavoidable component of completing the surgery. After deliberating for several hours, the jury returned a verdict in favor of all defendants and awarded no damages.