November 17, 2004
Christopher O’Bryan and Donald Brown successfully defended an ER doctor from allegations of medical malpractice after purportedly failing to diagnosis a deadly pulmonary embolus. The physician discharged the patient with a diagnosis of pneumonia, but the next day the patient died of a pulmonary embolus. The Plaintiff alleged the physician should have correctly diagnosed the embolus, but the defense successfully counter-argued that (1) the pneumonia diagnosis was reasonable and (2) the embolus was not even present when the patient was at the ER. The Paducah Federal jury agreed, exonerating the doctor of all liability.