A patient was awarded $3.16 million in a medical malpractice case involving a spinal surgery from September 2015 that resulted in irreversible nerve damage, according to a Nov. 13 report from the law firm Mintz & Geftic.
In May 2015, Rony Nazarian, MD, a Princeton, N.J.-based orthopedic surgeon. performed the initial surgery on the patient, Jason Rosen, to address a herniated disc. In September 2015, Mr. Rosen underwent a second surgery performed by Harshpal Singh, MD, a Hackensack, N.J.-based orthopedic surgeon, who noted significant damage to the C8 nerve root, attributing the injury to Dr. Nazarian's first procedure. This assessment was corroborated by the co-surgeon, according to the report.
The case centered on whether the nerve damage occurred during the first or second surgery. The patient initially sued only Dr. Nazarian, but Dr. Singh was later added as a defendant following expert testimonies, the report said.
The jury found Dr. Singh negligent, concluding he was responsible for the nerve damage. Dr. Singh argued for dismissal based on the statute of limitations, but his appeal was denied. He is expected to appeal the latest judgment.