A Virginia jury ruled in favor of a gastroenterologist accused of medical malpractice after a patient suffered a colon perforation during a 2019 screening colonoscopy, according to a recent blog post by defense attorneys Michael Olszewski and Brian Han.
What happened?
- The plaintiff claimed the use of a “hot” snare to remove a 5mm polyp violated the standard of care, citing recent research supporting “cold” snaring as safer.
- He sought $5 million in damages after undergoing multiple surgeries and alleging lasting physical and emotional harm.
- The defense argued hot snaring remained standard in 2019. After a five-day trial, the jury returned a unanimous verdict for the defense on Jan. 28.
