On February 5, 2024, an Indiana medical malpractice jury returned its verdict in excess of $11 million for 72-year-old Mychajlo Hajdaj against defendant Dr. James Shoemaker Jr. and his employer for his alleged medical negligence in failing to diagnose Hajdaj’s right leg critical limb ischemia in January 2015 that led to a delay in treatment and ultimately resulted in the above-the-knee amputation of Hajdaj’s right leg.
Despite an Indiana medical review panel unanimously finding that the defendants did not breach the standard of care, the Indiana medical malpractice jury decided otherwise following a five-day trial. The jury awarded Hajdaj compensatory damages in the amount of $6.2 million and awarded his wife, Lidia, $5 million in compensatory damages.
Hajdaj had to retire from work and was reduced to a sedentary lifestyle due to the loss of his right leg. His Indiana medical malpractice lawyer stated after the verdict, “During the trial, Mr. Hajdaj, now 81 years old, testified that he wouldn’t trade his leg for $10 million.”
Critical Limb Ischemia
Critical limb ischemia (CLI) may be considered the most severe pattern of peripheral artery disease (PAD), being associated with a high risk of major amputation, cardiovascular events, and death. It is defined by the presence of chronic ischemic rest pain, ulceration or gangrene attributable to the occlusion of peripheral arterial vessels. A mortality rate of 20% within 6 months after the diagnosis and 50% at 5 years has been reported. This excessive mortality may be related to the systemic cardiovascular diseases, including coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular arterial disease. Furthermore, CLI is associated with peripheral complications such as ulceration, gangrene, infection and a high risk of lower limb amputation estimated in 10%–40% of patients at 6 months, especially in non-treatable patients.
Revascularization is the first-line treatment for CLI. Revascularization may be surgical through bypass or endovascular technique. There is an open debate whether open surgery is preferable or not to angioplasty. The decision is related to many factors: anatomical lesions, distribution of arterial disease, patient’s health status, comorbidities, presence of foot ulcer and foot infection, and local expertise.
Patients with critical limb ischemia have an elevated risk of future myocardial infarction, stroke, and vascular death, 3-fold higher than patients with intermittent claudication. Therefore, due to its negative impact on the quality of life and the poor prognosis both in terms of limb salvage and survival, critical limb ischemia is a critical public health issue.
If you or a loved one were harmed as a result of medical malpractice in Indiana or in another U.S. state, you should promptly find an Indiana medical malpractice attorney, or a medical malpractice attorney in your state, who may investigate your medical malpractice claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a medical malpractice malpractice case, if appropriate.
Click here to visit our website or call us toll-free in the United States at 800-295-3959 to find medical malpractice lawyers in your U.S. state who may assist you.
Turn to us when you don’t know where to turn.
