Jury Finds Unanimously for Joplin, MO Internist
Posted by Brian in Bruce Hunt, Medical Malpractice, Verdicts on June 4th, 2009
Bruce Hunt
Joplin, MO — Attorney Bruce Hunt successfully defended a Joplin, MO internist against allegations he directly contributed to cause a woman’s death in late December, 2001.
Decedent Alta Fern Brown was admitted by neurosurgeon Hish Majzoub, M.D. through the emergency room at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, MO on November 23, 2001. Following a CT scan, Mrs. Brown was diagnosed as having a intracerebellar hemorrhagic stroke. She was started on Decadron, a high-potency corticosteroid, to reduce edema caused by the stroke. An emergent ventriculostomy was performed by Dr. Majzoub to relieve the increased intracranial pressure. On November 27, Mrs. Brown underwent a suboccipital craniotomy to evacuate the hematoma from her brain. Mrs. Brown made “dramatic steady improvement” following the craniotomy and was transferred to the Skilled Nursing Unit at Freeman Hospital on December 7, 2001 where she was to continue her recovering from her stroke. Her Decadron dosage was decreased upon transfer.
On December 20, 2001, nurses at Freeman noted brownish drainage coming from the previously healed craniotomy site. They attempted to contact Dr. Bettasso once by phone and made no other attempts to get him involved until December 25 when her neurological status worsened. When Dr. Bettasso saw her on the 25th, he immediately suspected an infection and started her on antibiotics. He also had her transferred to the ICU at St. John’s. Read the rest of this entry »
Longtime Springfield Lawyer Glenn Burkart Remembered
Posted by Brian in Glenn Burkart on November 25th, 2008
Glenn A. Burkart (1922-2008)
From Missouri Lawyers Weekly:
A longtime lawyer and founder of a Springfield defense firm has died. Glenn Burkart was remembered by colleagues as a legendary litigator and great storyteller who also took the time to serve as a mentor to younger lawyers.
Burkart, 86, died Saturday, after recently suffering a heart attack, according to other attorneys in his firm. Burkart helped found a new law firm, then called Burkart & Hunt, in Springfield about 15 years ago, at a time of life when many people would be retiring and headed for Florida.
The firm traditionally helped defend doctors in medical malpractice cases. But as that need has fallen with changes in state law limiting injury lawsuits, it handles more general civil and insurance defense, firm attorney Joel Block said.
Burkart continued to practice law up until the end, coming to the office every day until a couple of weeks ago and still working on active cases, Block said.
“He was a great friend. He was the firm in many respects and a great mentor to me,” said Block, who joined the law practice about five years ago. Read the rest of this entry »
Defense Verdict for Local Dirt Track
Posted by Brian in Bruce Hunt, Personal Injury, Verdicts on November 11th, 2007
Case Name: Harris v. Lebanon I-44 Speedway, LLC
Case Number: 26V030400794
Venue: Laclede County, Missouri
Judge: William Hass
Plaintiff’s Attorney: Bill Francis, Springfield, MO
Dates of Trial: 11/05/2007-11/09/2007
Allegations: Failure to properly prepare dirt track surface resulting in airborne rock that struck driver while racing on dirt track.
Settlement Demand: $850,000.
Outcome: Jury returned defense verdict.
Unanimous Defense Verdict in Alleged Failure to Diagnose Retroperitoneal Hematoma
Posted by Brian in Bruce Hunt, Medical Malpractice, Verdicts on March 22nd, 2007
Case Name: Ogle v. Bettasso, M.D.
Case Number: 06AO-CC00117
Venue: Jasper County, Missouri
Judge: Gayle Crane
Plaintiff’s Attorney: Thomas Hayes, Pittsburg, KS
Dates of Trial: 3/19/2007-3/22/2007
Allegations: Failure to diagnose retroperitoneal hematoma following plaintiff’s hospitalization for pneumonia and atrial fibrillation and administration of anticoagulants.
Settlement Demand: No formal offer of settlement was extended. Defendant refused to consent to settle.
Outcome: Jury returned unanimous defense verdict.
Horse-Drawn Wagon Accident Results In §537.065 Agreement Not to Participate In Defense
Posted by Brian in Bruce Hunt, Personal Injury, Verdicts on September 26th, 2006
Case Name: Baumgartner v. Sac River Stables, et. al.
Case Number: 104CC3482
Venue: Greene County, Missouri
Judge: Jason Brown
Plaintiff’s Attorney: John Woodell, Springfield, MO
Dates of Trial: 9/11/2006-9/29/2006
Allegations: Negligent operation of horse-drawn wagon with multiple serious injuries to the 12 occupants of the wagon.
Settlement Demand: $3 million
Outcome: Bruce Hunt represented Defendant Darrell Proctor individually, with separate counsel representing the co-defendant stable owned by Mr. Proctor. The day before trial, plaintiffs’ counsel contacted Mr. Hunt and proposed that in exchange for Mr. Hunt’s immediate withdrawal and agreement not to participate in the jury trial, plaintiffs’ would agree to not pursue any potential judgment in excess of the liability insurance policy limits. This agreement was memorialized in accordance with §537.065, V.A.M.S.
Unanimous Defense Verdict in Alleged Failure to Obtain CT Scan Prior to Administration of Thrombolytics
Posted by Brian in Bruce Hunt, Glenn Burkart, Medical Malpractice, Verdicts on August 30th, 2006
Case Name: Lawrence v. Arunakul, M.D., et. al.
Case Number: 05AF-CV00021
Venue: Taney County, Missouri
Judge: James Eiffert
Plaintiff’s Attorney: Jim Newberry, Springfield, MO
Dates of Trial: 8/28/2006-8/30/2006
Allegations: Failure to obtain CT scan of decedent’s head following acute myocardial infarction with subsequent administration of thrombolytics. Plaintiff had fallen from standing height due to acute MI and plaintiff alleged decedent suffered a head injury.
Settlement Demand: No formal offer of settlement was extended. Defendant refused to consent to settle.
Outcome: Jury returned unanimous defense verdict.
Unanimous Defense Verdict in Alleged Failure to Diagnose Compartment Syndrome or Blood Clot
Posted by Brian in Bruce Hunt, Medical Malpractice, Verdicts on June 30th, 2006
Case Name: Joy v. Morrison, M.D., et. al.
Case Number: 103CC1819 (Greene County), SD28084 (Mo Ct. of Appeals)
Venue: Greene County, Missouri
Judge: J. Miles Sweeney
Plaintiff’s Attorney: David Ransin, Springfield, MO
Dates of Trial: 6/19/06-6/30/06
Allegations: Failure to diagnose compartment syndrome or a blood clot within plaintiff’s leg following saphenous vein harvesting during cardiac artery bypass procedure.
Settlement Demand: Plaintiffs offered to settle on April 27, 2006 for $1.5 million. Defendant refused to consent to settle.
Outcome: Jury returned unanimous defense verdict. The judgment was affirmed on appeal to Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District and again affirmed by the Missouri Supreme Court.
Unanimous Defense Verdict for Springfield OB/GYN in Alleged Failure to Perform Timely C-section
Posted by Brian in Bruce Hunt, Medical Malpractice, Verdicts on February 8th, 2005
Case Name: Tindle v. Otto, M.D.
Case Number: 103CC2932
Venue: Greene County, Missouri
Judge: J. Miles Sweeney
Plaintiff’s Attorney: Brad Bradshaw, M.D., J.D, Springfield, MO
Dates of Trial: 1/20/2005-2/8/2005
Allegations: Alleged failure to perform timely C-section following decelerations on fetal heart tracing.
Settlement Demand: On 1/21/05, Plaintiff demanded $400,000 for settlement with defendant Otto. After that offer expired, plaintiff made another demand for the policy limits of $1 million. Plaintiff’s counsel indicated that he had been instructed not to pass along to his clients any settlement offer below $750,000.
Outcome: Jury returned unanimous verdict for defendant William Otto, M.D.
