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$7.5M Verdict Against Pediatrician Who Hid Child's Heart Condition

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A Brevard County, FL, jury returned a verdict of $7.5 million on May 22, 2014 against a pediatrician who neglected to tell a mother or other doctors that her daughter had a dangerous hear condition, which later killed her .

Attorney Ron Gilbert of Colling Gilbert Wright & Carter in Orlando, FL, represented the mother whose 12-year old daughter died unexpectedly of a fatal cardiac event. Only after hiring her attorneys did the mother learn what really happened to her daughter. She knew only that eight months before her death, her child had a new onset seizure at home and went to the hospital.

Only after hiring her attorneys did the mother learn what really happened to her daughter.

What she didn't know was that an EKG was performed at that time and that it showed a Long QT interval, a disorder of the heart's electrical activity. The pediatrician then failed to include cardiac issues in the differential diagnosis during followup and referred the young girl to a pediatric neurologist only.

The mother also didn't know that the ER doctor personally had called the pediatrician to tell her he was sending the girl back to the pediatrician for followup on the abnormal EKG. The ER doctor testified that he specifically recalled that conversation and remembered telling the pediatrician about an abnormal EKG, but he admitted he did not write anything in chart about that. The assistant of the ER doctor physician's corroborated his testimony saying she overheard the call.

Eight months later the 12-year old had a fatal heart arrhythmia caused by Long QT Syndrome, which had gone completely untreated. It was only at this emergency admission that the mother was told about the abnormal EKG and dangerous Long QT syndrome.

The defendant pediatrician testified that she recalled a conversation with the ER doctor but that there was no mention of an abnormal EKG. The jury believed the ER doctor and not the defendant pediatrician. The name of the case is Rowe v. Wickham Pediatrics/Dr. Agha.

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