Paulson & Nace Brings in $600,000 Jury Verdict in Medical Malpractice Case

At Paulson & Nace, we know that no amount of money can ever truly make up for the tragic and wrongful death of a beloved family member. But we also know that the people we help are often saddled with medical expenses and other day-to-day debts and losses that accumulate over the course of a person’s illness. That is why we are so proud of our firm’s Barry Nace and Matthew Nace for holding healthcare providers at Southern Maryland Hospital accountable for their actions which led to the unexpected death of Mrs. Leila Cartledge.

Mrs. Cartledge suffered from diverticulitis, and after her primary care doctor directed her to SMH, she underwent surgery in February of 2010. As often happens with the procedure that Mrs. Cartledge underwent, she developed a leak that presented with multiple signs and symptoms such as:

• Severe bandemia, which is an excess of immature white blood cells. It often signifies an infection.
• Consistently elevated pulse rate
• Abdominal pain
• Fever
• Tachypnea, or rapid breathing associated with infection or with impending heart attacks
• Hypotension
• Cognitive impairments

Despite all of her symptoms, her primary care doctor released her from the hospital a week later without any diagnosis for her symptoms. Three days later, Mrs. Cartledge was brought by ambulance to Prince George’s Community Hospital. She was in septic shock and in liver and kidney failure. Eight days later, despite all the effort of the doctors at PGCH, Mrs. Cartledge passed away, leaving behind children, grandchildren and her husband of 54 years.

Fighting for justice

Attorneys Barry Nace and Matthew Nace fought on behalf of Mrs. Cartledge’s surviving family members for three weeks, before the jury rendered a verdict on their behalf. While the financial compensation cannot ease their broken hearts, it can at least ease some of the stress which comes from mounting medical bills.

At Paulson & Nace, we believe that it is our duty to help victims like the Cartledges, whose loved ones were taken from them all too soon. We have dedicated the last 40 years to advocating on behalf of victims in Washington, D.C., Maryland and West Virginia.

We hope that this victory offers some solace to the Cartledge family, and that it helps them in some way.