Jury awards $6.69 million in Coney Island Hospital stroke malpractice case

A Kings County jury awarded $6.69 million to a former Coney Island Hospital employee who was left permanently disabled after the hospital failed to diagnose her stroke during a 2018 ER visit. The verdict underscores the stakes of rapid stroke screening in emergency care and holds New York City Health + Hospitals Corporation liable.

Why it matters: - The verdict puts a $6.69 million price tag on a stroke diagnosis failure that left a former hospital worker permanently disabled. - The case highlights the consequences of missing early stroke symptoms in an emergency room, where fast screening can determine whether a patient recovers or suffers irreversible brain injury. - The award also adds liability pressure on New York City Health + Hospitals Corporation, the largest municipal health system in the country.

What happened: - A Kings County jury found Coney Island Hospital and New York City Health + Hospitals Corporation liable in a malpractice case stemming from a 2018 emergency room visit. - The jury awarded $6.69 million, including $4.01 million for past and future pain and suffering. - The verdict came less than 90 minutes after closing arguments. - Neal Bhushan, a partner, and Rikki Dascal, an associate, at Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Firm, LLP represented the family. - The client had previously worked as a unit clerk at Coney Island Hospital.

The details: - The patient arrived at the ER with leg weakness, calf pain and dangerously high blood pressure. - She did not receive a neurological workup and was discharged the same evening with instructions to follow up in a few days. - By the next night, her condition had worsened. - She returned by ambulance with facial droop and arm weakness. - Doctors diagnosed an ischemic stroke on the right side of her brain. - The stroke left her paralyzed on her left side, unable to walk and dependent on round-the-clock family care. - Her care now includes support from her son, who was 15 at the time of the stroke. - At trial, the plaintiff's lawyers argued that any patient with stroke symptoms should receive an immediate neurological exam. - Expert testimony from emergency medicine and neurology specialists was used to argue that such an exam would have revealed asymmetric weakness and triggered stroke-code imaging. - The imaging, they argued, would have identified the clot restricting blood flow before irreversible damage occurred.

Between the lines: - The case suggests the jury accepted the argument that the initial ER visit missed clear warning signs that should have prompted faster action. - The outcome also reflects how malpractice juries may weigh preventable harm when a patient’s disability is permanent and care needs are lifelong. - The hospital’s former-employee status may have added an especially stark dimension to the case, though the verdict rests on the alleged failure to diagnose stroke symptoms.

What's next: - The verdict may shape how the defendants evaluate post-trial options, including any appeal. - The case adds to scrutiny of emergency stroke protocols at public hospitals serving high-volume patient populations. - Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Firm, LLP said it continues to handle medical negligence and civil rights cases across New York State and beyond.

The bottom line: - A missed stroke diagnosis in a hospital ER led to a multimillion-dollar verdict and a lifetime of disability for a former Coney Island Hospital employee.