Jury Awards $28 Million Verdict to Kaiser Permanente Patient in Medical Malpractice Lawsuit says Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley LLP

LOS ANGELES, March 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A Los Angeles jury awarded Anna Rahm a verdict of $28,215,278 in future medical expenses, future loss of earnings, and pain and suffering  after a four-week trial in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The jury ruled that Kaiser Permanente was liable for mishandling Anna Rahm's medical treatment, resulting in the loss of her right leg, half of her pelvis and parts of her spine. The case was tried by Michael J. Bidart and Danica Dougherty of the Claremont office of Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley LLP.

"I'm grateful to the jury for recognizing the truth of what happened to me, and for my attorneys for helping me hold Kaiser Permanente responsible for what they did," said Ms. Anna Rahm.

In August of 2008, at age 16, Anna Rahm began experiencing lower back pain. The pain began radiating down her right leg in January 2009. After unsuccessful chiropractic treatments in February 2009, her chiropractor urged her to go to Kaiser Permanente to get an MRI. Ms. Rahm and her mother went to Kaiser Permanente in Woodland Hills in March of 2009 and saw Ms. Rahm's primary care physician and physical medicine specialist. Between March and June of 2009, The Rahm family repeatedly requested an MRI from their treating physicians at Kaiser Permanente. Both doctors refused to order an MRI, failed to document the MRI request in the medical records, and then claimed at trial that Ms. Rahm and her mother had never requested the MRI.  

After Anna Rahm's mother became incensed, Kaiser Permanente finally relented and ordered an MRI, which was performed on July 2, 2009. Sadly, it revealed that she had an extremely aggressive tumor mass in her pelvis known as osteosarcoma. After months of chemotherapy, Anna underwent surgeries lasting a total of 22 hours where she lost her right leg, half of her pelvis, and a portion of her spine.

"Kaiser Permanente stubbornly refused to give Anna an MRI in March 2009 which would have diagnosed Anna's dangerous cancer four months sooner and would have more likely than not salvaged her right leg," said Danica Dougherty. 

Mike Bidart, her partner, added "While we are extremely grateful for the jury's verdict, it's a tragic shame that such a bright and wonderful young woman has had to endure, and will continue to endure for the rest of her life, such a dreadful hardship."

The case is Anna Rahm v. Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Los Angeles Superior Court, Case No. BC441742.

About Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley LLP
Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley LLP leads the nation in protecting policyholders from insurance company abuse. The firm has been protecting the rights of insurance consumers, both individuals and businesses, for 40 years after having set the legal precedent requiring insurance companies to act in good faith. The firm had three of the largest verdicts in California in 2012.

SOURCE Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley LLP