Professional Negligence Law Reporter

Ramratan v. Long Island Jewish Med. Ctr., No. 0703961/2014 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Queens Cnty. May 15, 2018).

Elda Ramratan, 63, underwent surgery to treat Stage IV endometrial cancer. During the procedure, the surgeon-oncologist removed a tumor from Ramratan’s colon, resected the colon, and created an anastomosis. Ramratan suffered from tachycardia after the surgery. She also had a rising white blood cell count and low urine output. Three days later, a CT scan revealed sepsis. Ramratan underwent a colostomy, tracheostomy, and vacuum-assisted closure of her wound. After spending three months in the hospital’s intensive care unit, she was found unresponsive after she was unable to clear secretions that had built up in her tracheostomy tube. Ramratan is survived by her husatrician band and adult son.

Ramratan’s estate filed suit against Long Island Jewish Medical Center, alleging failure to timely diagnose an anastomotic leak and postoperative infection. The jury awarded $3.92 million.

Plaintiff counsel: Robert Miklos, Garden City, N.Y.

Plaintiff expert: Debra Dwyer, economics, Stony Brook, N.Y.