John Penhallegon Received Defense Verdict in Wrongful Death Case

IADC Board Member John R. Penhallegon recently received a defense verdict after a 2 week jury trial in a wrongful death case filed in the Circuit Court of Maryland for Carroll County. The case involved a 57 year old male admitted to the hospital with shortness of breath and diminished oxygen saturations. Mr. Penhallegon’s client, a pulmonologist, diagnosed the patient with pleural effusions (a collection of fluid in the pleural space of the lungs). Some 12 hours after the patient’s discharge from the hospital he exhibited mental status changes and fell from a second story window to his death. An autopsy revealed a massive pulmonary embolism. Plaintiffs alleged that the defendant failed to diagnose and treat showers of pulmonary emboli leading to hypoxia and disorientation causing the decedent’s fall. The defense disputed the claim that the decedent exhibited signs and symptoms of a pulmonary embolism and disputed that a massive pulmonary embolism caused the decedent’s fall and death. The jury returned a verdict finding that the defendant did not breach accepted standards of care in the treatment provided the decedent.