Family Awarded $6 Million For Loss of Life in Medical Malpractice Suit

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In the case of Kantorowski v. St. Vincent’s Medical Center, the family of a man who died of a heart attack sued a Bridgeport hospital, alleging that doctors failed to order a cardiac evaluation.

On July 11, 2011, Dwayne Kantorowski, who previously had a brain tumor removed, was admitted to St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport for neurological symptoms. He was confused, had a blank stare, wasn’t talking and was experiencing tremors, according to an attorney for his estate. When a patient is admitted to the hospital for strokelike symptoms, an electrocardiogram is usually ordered, the attorney said, to rule out heart diseases that could potentially cause a stroke. This EKG, according to the court documents, revealed there were abnormalities with Kantorowski’s heart and that he had two heart attacks in the past. According to court documents, the emergency room doctor, Steven Valassis, saw the abnormalities in the EKG but his response was simply to call for a neurologist to assist with the patient. Kristine Lisi, his primary care doctor, oversaw Kantorowski when he was admitted to the hospital; his abnormal EKG was not mentioned to her, though it was in his medical charts. Three days later, after Kantorowski’s neurological symptoms had been resolved, Lisi discharged him. Nothing was ever done to address his heart issues. Three days after leaving the hospital, Kantorowski, who has a do-not-resuscitate order, had a heart attack and fell into a vegetative state. He was transferred to hospice care and died three weeks later. While Kantorowski was comatose, doctors determined that one of his arteries was obstructed. According to his lawsuit, that could have been resolved by inserting a stent in the artery when he was initially admitted. Failure to address the abnormal EKG constituted a deviation from accepted standards of care and resulted in the patient’s death, the plaintiffs argued. The defense countered that Kantorowski had radiation dementia stemming from treatment of his brain tumor, and brought forward an expert from Wake Forest University in North Carolina to say that the man only had a few months to live regardless of his heart condition. The plaintiff’s attorney called his own radiation experts who refuted the defense expert’s claim.

Verdict Breakdown: The jury found that Lisi and Valassis were each 50 percent at fault for Kantorowski’s death. In total, it awarded his estate $6,304,272. Of that amount, $6 million was for loss of life and the remaining $304,272 for medical and funeral expenses.

At Maya Murphy, P.C., our personal injury attorneys are dedicated to achieving the best results for individuals and their family members and loved ones whose daily lives have been disrupted by injury, whether caused by a motor vehicle or pedestrian accident, a slip and fall, medical malpractice, a defective product, or otherwise. Our attorneys are not afraid to aggressively pursue and litigate cases and have extensive experience litigating personal injury matters in both state and federal courts, and always with regard to the unique circumstances of our client and the injury he or she has sustained. 

Please contact Joseph C. Maya, Esq., at 203-221-3100, or at JMaya@mayalaw.com, to schedule a free consultation.

Source: Jeff Forte, Top Connecticut Verdicts & Settlements of 2015, CONN. LAW TRBN. at 8 discussing Peter Kantorowski, co-administrator for the estate of Dwayne Kantorowski v. St. Vincent’s Medical Center et al.