$25 Million Lawsuit

Chuck Bach successfully defended the staff of Harlem Hospital against allegations of prenatal and pediatric malpractice in a hotly-contested trial during which plaintiff’s counsel sought more than $25 million in damages.

Represented by one of the most successful malpractice attorneys in the nation, plaintiff alleged that a Harlem Hospital radiologist failed to detect an abnormality in a prenatal ultrasound thereby delaying a diagnosis of posterior urethral valves (PUV) for the first 27 months of the infant-plaintiff’s life. According to plaintiff’s counsel, the infant-plaintiff suffered acute and chronic renal failure, chronic hypertension and a rare cardiac condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy by virtue of the alleged delay. Plaintiff’s counsel further claimed the infant-plaintiff would require multiple kidney and heart transplants in the future and that his life was irrevocably impaired.

Through cross examination of plaintiff’s experts in pediatric nephrology and cardiology, and presentation of a complex medical defense supported by computer imaging and medical illustrations as well as top-notch experts in the fields of obstetrical radiology, pediatric nephrology and pediatric cardiology, Mr. Bach convinced the New York County jury that the staff of Harlem Hospital acted appropriately in treating the infant-plaintiff in utero and during his first 27 months of life. Indeed, it was the defense position that both the mother and the infant received excellent care at Harlem Hospital and that the unfortunate child suffered two rare and unrelated diseases. After more than three weeks of trial, the jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of Harlem Hospital on the second day of deliberations.