May 27, 2005
A Jefferson County jury found in favor of a Louisville orthopedic doctor in this medical malpractice case. A woman underwent a hip replacement surgery, after which her right leg was eight millimeters shorter that the right. This, claimed the Plaintiff, caused undue pain and suffering and lost wages, and could have been prevented had the surgeon taken into account the patient’s pelvic tilt and preexisting scoliosis. The defense, led by Donald Brown, successfully argued that the orthopedist’s technical skill during surgery was excellent, that the patient’s ill-advised pursuit of further surgical intervention only exacerbated the patient’s problems, and that it was this unnecessary surgery, not the defendant’s actions, which caused the bulk of the trouble.