Syracuse Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Medical malpractice cases often involve conflicting medical evidence that juries must carefully evaluate before reaching a verdict. Because jurors are responsible for resolving disputed factual issues, trial courts must ensure they have meaningful access to the evidence admitted during trial and provide appropriate guidance during deliberations. A recent New York opinion demonstrates that even when a jury’s factual findings are supported by the evidence, significant errors during deliberations may still require a new trial. If you or a loved one suffered injuries because of negligent medical care, you should speak with a Syracuse medical malpractice attorney to learn how procedural errors can affect the outcome of a medical malpractice case.
Factual and Procedural History
Allegedly, the plaintiffs commenced a medical malpractice action against several healthcare providers, asserting that they failed to timely diagnose and treat an infant’s arachnoid cyst and failed to refer the child to a neurologist or neurosurgeon. The plaintiffs contended that these departures from accepted medical practice delayed appropriate treatment and ultimately caused the child to sustain permanent brain injuries.
Reportedly, following a jury trial, the jury determined that two of the defendants did not depart from accepted standards of medical care. The jury further found that another healthcare provider departed from the applicable standard of care by failing to make an appropriate specialist referral during one office visit, but concluded that the departure was not a substantial factor in causing the child’s injuries. The plaintiffs moved to set aside portions of the verdict and to request a new trial, arguing that errors during the trial prevented the jury from fairly considering the evidence. After the trial court denied that request, the plaintiffs appealed.
Grounds for Granting a New Trial
On appeal, the court first reviewed whether the jury’s finding on proximate cause was contrary to the weight of the evidence. The court explained that a jury verdict should not be disturbed if it can be reconciled with a fair interpretation of the evidence presented at trial. Where competing expert testimony exists, jurors are entitled to determine which expert they find more credible, and appellate courts generally defer to those credibility determinations.
Applying those principles, the court concluded that the jury reasonably could have determined that, although one healthcare provider departed from accepted medical practice, that departure was not a substantial factor in causing the child’s injuries. Accordingly, the court agreed that the verdict itself was supported by the evidence.
The court reached a different conclusion, however, when evaluating the trial court’s handling of the jury’s deliberations. During deliberations, the jurors asked to review MRI images that had been admitted into evidence during the trial. The trial court denied the request, reasoning that the images were beyond the understanding of ordinary jurors. The court determined that this response failed to meaningfully address the jury’s request because the MRI images had already been admitted into evidence and were properly available for the jury’s consideration.
Although the error did not affect the verdict in favor of the defendants who were found not to have departed from accepted medical practice, the appellate court concluded that it deprived the plaintiffs of a fair determination on the issue of whether the remaining defendant’s negligence caused the child’s injuries. As a result, the court ordered a new trial limited to the issue of proximate cause as to that defendant.
Let Skilled Syracuse Medical Malpractice Attorneys Protect Your Rights
If you or a loved one has been harmed by negligent medical care, you have the right to seek compensation, and you should talk to an attorney. The skilled Syracuse medical malpractice attorneys at DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers can advise you of your potential claims and formulate persuasive arguments on your behalf. Contact us through our online form or call 833-200-2000 to schedule a free and confidential consultation.
