Attorney Peter Kelley secures defense verdict

Following a four week jury trial in Middlesex Superior Court in February 2017, Attorney Peter Kelley was successful in securing a defense verdict for a surgeon and registered nurse in a wrongful death case.

Plaintiff brought this wrongful death claim alleging the surgeon and nurse failed to recognize signs and symptoms of sepsis in a post-surgical patient and the failure resulted in a delay in treatment. Further, the Plaintiff claimed the delay resulted in the patient progressing to septic shock, which required numerous additional surgeries and ultimately caused the patient's death. In addition, the Plaintiff claimed the surgeon failed to see the patient in a timely manner because of surgery bookings at an off-site campus and the nurse failed to follow a hospital policy that required activation of its rapid response team for certain clinical criteria that the patient exhibited.

The jury returned its verdict finding no negligence by the surgeon and the nurse following approximately six hours of deliberation over two days.