A jury in Houston County reached a verdict on Tuesday, awarding what seems to be the largest medical malpractice judgment in the county’s history.
A jury has recently made a verdict, stating that Dothan physician Bradley Marker and Wiregrass Surgical, the medical facility where he practices, are obligated to pay $6 million to the family of Christa Anne Davis. The 71-year-old Headland woman tragically passed away in 2017 after undergoing gallbladder surgery.
According to Betsy Davis Swihart, her mother was not properly treated by Marker, which resulted in her poor recovery after returning home from the procedure.
Marker’s negligence in his follow-up is highlighted in the lawsuit, as he failed to even check her vital signs.
According to Swihart, the woman was simply dismissed and sent back home, and tragically passed away that same night.
The jurors’ verdict in the five-day trial has been praised by attorneys who sued Marker and his practice. Several expert witnesses testified during the trial, which contributed to the positive outcome.
“The jury was convinced by the testimony of those experts and shared the belief that Ms. Anne should have received better care. They also recognized the importance of providing that same level of care to others in similar situations,” expressed D. Leon Ashford, managing partner of a Birmingham law firm representing Davis’s survivors.
The attorneys have another concern about Marker in addition to their lack of care claims.
According to Ashley Peinhardt, a member of the Hare Wynn law firm, he attempted to reshape the narrative and assign responsibility and blame to different individuals by revisiting the record.
Longtime observers of Houston County trials have stated that they cannot recall a medical malpractice judgment ever reaching the staggering sum of $6 million.
Lawyers representing Marker and Wiregrass Surgical have not yet provided any comments in response to inquiries.
