VA To Pay $21.5 Million In Navy Veteran’s Stroke Case

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A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to pay more than $21 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit that alleged doctors failed to properly treat a Navy veteran, leading to severe injuries from a stroke.

The judgment issued earlier this month is the largest involving an individual personal injury claim in New Hampshire history.

The case involved Michael Farley, a 60-year-old Navy veteran, who went to the VA in Manchester, New Hampshire in 2010 seeking help after experiencing partial blindness and headaches. He suffered a massive stroke about six weeks later that left him with only minor movements of his eyes and head, but fully conscious and able to feel pain in what is known as "locked-in syndrome."

A VA doctor had initially ordered Farley to be transferred to another facility better equipped to handle stroke cases, but canceled the move amid confusion about the best course of action, court documents showed, The Washington Post reported.

The doctor eventually discharged Farley, told him to take two baby aspirin daily, and arranged for staff to call him and schedule a cardiology appointment.

U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty determined that the VA doctor “inadvertently and negligently divorced himself from Mr. Farley’s care” by not following medical standards for stroke victims.

She ordered the VA to pay about $21.5 million in all -- $13.4 million to cover the cost of medical care for the duration of Farley’s life, and more than $8 million for pain and suffering.

Ross Feller Casey, a Philadelphia personal injury law firm with a national reputation for winning record results, is the leader in medical malpractices cases, including those involving brain injury from the failure to properly diagnose and treat strokes.

If you or a loved one suffered injuries from a stroke that you believe was misdiagnosed, you should contact the experienced medical malpractice lawyers at Ross Feller Casey immediately for a free case evaluation.

Disclaimer: Ross Feller Casey, LLP provides legal advice only after an attorney-client relationship is formed. Our website is an introduction to the firm and does not create a relationship between our attorneys and clients. An attorney-client relationship is formed only after a written agreement is signed by the client and the firm. Because every case is unique, the description of awards and summary of cases successfully handled are not intended to imply or guarantee that same success in other cases. Ross Feller Casey, LLP represents catastrophically injured persons and their families in injury and wrongful death cases, providing legal representation in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.