Laurie Ann Amell

Jury Verdicts and Settlements: $5.77 million verdict in Jane Doe v. Metropolitan Gastroenterology Group, P.C., a wrongful death case tried before Judge John Debelius in Montgomery County, Maryland in August 2012. The case involved a 21-month delay in the diagnosis and treatment of a young woman's rectal cancer resulting in her premature death at age 30. Seven figure wrongful death settlement in Washington, D.C. in 2011 involving the negligent failure to refer a 50 year old man for an immediate cardiac work-up despite new complaints of chest pain and pressure, fatigue, clamminess, diaphoresis, and elevated blood pressure readings. The physician advised the patient that no treatment or evaluation was necessary. Shortly thereafter, the patient suffered a fatal cardiac arrhythmia and myocardial infarction. Seven figure settlement in a Washington, D.C. wrongful death claim in 2010 involving a delay in diagnosing and treating a postoperative wound infection following an elective orthopedic procedure. The 60 year old woman's infection progressed to life-threatening sepsis ultimately leading to a cascade of multi-organ system failure, ventilator dependency, reliance on feeding tubes and dialysis, and living her final 13 days as a quadriplegic. $3.56 million jury verdict in a medical negligence case tried before Judge Geoffrey M. Alprin in the District of Columbia Superior Court in May-June 2007. Plaintiff was incorrectly diagnosed HIV positive and negligently subjected to 9 years of aggressive and toxic antiretroviral medications. The jury awarded $3.56 million in damages ($2.7M for pain & suffering and $800,000 for lost wages) against the lab and primary care doctor. $5.26 million verdict in Lawson v. United States for severe and permanent brain injury to the young wife of an Air Force Intelligence Officer. Ms. Lawson had a congenital brain abnormality known as Arnold Chiari Malformation which became symptomatic during her second pregnancy. Her symptoms were blamed on her pregnancy and she was denied a timely basic neurological work-up. In September 2006, United States District Judge Roger Titus issued an 87-page written opinion ruling down the line for Ms. Lawson on all issues. $2.4 million jury verdict in Curtis-Jackson v. Women's Health Center of Fredericksburg for a birth-injury case resulting in permanent brain injury to a baby boy and significant emotional injury to his mother. The jury awarded $2.3 million for the child and $100,000 for the mother in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 2004.