Defense Verdict

HPM&B recently obtained a defense verdict in New York Supreme Court, Kings County after a jury trial.  Plaintiffs alleged that our client, an otolaryngologist, failed to diagnose laryngeal cancer by performing a biopsy on a  polypoid lesion on the then 66-year-old patient’s left vocal cord prior to  his last treatment with our client.  Plaintiffs further alleged that our client failed to inform the patient of a possibility of a malignancy.    Plaintiffs alleged that the patient’s  cancer would have not progressed to Stage IV cancer with him requiring a laryngectomy  if our client had performed  a biopsy on the vocal cord.  In closing, plaintiffs’ counsel requested an award of $7 million.      After deliberations, the jury returned a verdict finding no departures on behalf of our client.