A Vancouver couple were awarded $2 million by a Clark County jury on Tuesday in a malpractice suit against a Vancouver doctor and two medical facilities, including PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center. The hospital was not found liable, however.
Daniel and Joyce Williamson filed the lawsuit in April 2014, alleging Joyce Williamson received substandard care at the hospital.
The couple’s attorney, Jane Clark, said in an interview that Joyce Williamson became paralyzed after receiving treatment in January 2011. The paralysis was caused by a delay in diagnosing a post-operative blood clot in her spine, Clark said.
She said the treatment Joyce Williamson received wasn’t negligent, but that the delay in diagnosing and removing the blood clot was.
The other defendants named in the suit were Northwest Surgical Specialists, better known as Rebound Orthopedics and Neurosurgery, and Dr. George Shanno with Rebound.
Jurors reached their verdict Tuesday afternoon following a two-week trial and a day of deliberation, Clark said.
The jury found a total of $8 million in damages, with 100 percent of the liability falling on Shanno and Rebound. However, jurors determined the negligence caused a loss of only a 25 percent chance of a better outcome. Therefore, the couple was only awarded one-quarter of the total damages, according to court records.
“I was very happy with the outcome and felt justice was done for my client,” Clark said.
PeaceHealth was represented by Peter Tuenge of the Portland-based firm Keating Jones Hughes, P.C. Tuenge declined to comment on the outcome of the case.
Shanno and Rebound were represented by Mark Wagner and Donna Lee of Hart Wagner in Portland. Efforts to reach Wagner were unsuccessful Wednesday.
