The Johnson, Vorhees & Martucci trial team of attorneys Roger Johnson, Scott Vorhees and Tati Scholfield-Johnson, along with paralegal Rusty Johnson, nurse consultant Pam Thurman and IT specialist Jeff Allender, had the great honor of speaking for a three year old – Warren H. – before a Jasper County, Missouri, jury from September 3-17.
Shout out to a hard-working jury who cared about finding and speaking the truth – with their jury verdict of $7.688 million for a birth injury client, with significant brain injuries that left him with cerebral palsy and right sided hemiplegia. The jury funded every dollar of the child’s future life care and medical needs. This is reportedly the largest medical malpractice verdict on record in Jasper County.
The Jasper County jury found Defendant Larry Clark, M.D. (who was employed by Freeman Health Systems in Joplin) to be medically negligent in his misuse of forceps during the birth of Warren Hunt. The misuse of the forceps caused a severe brain injury to the infant, triggering a stroke that permanently damaged a large part of the left side of Warren’s brain.
Not only had the doctor misused the forceps, but he had also failed to disclose to Warren’s mother Mary that he intended to use the forceps at all. Obstetrics experts came to Joplin and told the jury that the forceps were not needed to safely bring Warren into the world, that the laboring process was going normally and that the use of the forceps created risk of injury to Warren. Freeman Health System’s experts said the exact opposite and claimed that Warren’s brain injuries occurred before his mother arrived at the hospital. After a five hour deliberation, the jury showed with their verdict that they believed that Warren’s injuries resulted from negligent medical care.
The injury will cause Warren to require special care throughout his life and live with disabilities that make cognitive growth, schooling, and any form of employment extremely difficult. The $7.688 million awarded to three-year old Warren Hunt will help pay for all his future care, as well as bring a sense of justice and closure to his family.
Multimillion-dollar medical malpractice jury verdicts are uncommon in Jasper County and Missouri as a whole. However, this case result is representative that the civil jury system does work, that wrongs can be righted, and that help can be found for one harmed by negligent or reckless conduct of others, including doctors and hospitals.
A message from Roger Johnson, regarding this case and jury verdict:
“Along with Scott Vorhees and Tati Scholfield-Johnson, it was truly a privilege for me to speak for little Warren. Thanks to a Joplin jury – a group of folks who worked very hard during a long trial, listened to some really complex discussions by 11 experts about the brain, and deliberated five hours before speaking the truth with their verdict. With this jury’s help, we were able to make a difference for Warren, who will now have what he needs to have a life where he can not only be happy but can contribute to his family and community.”
Contact Us Today
For more information about the personal injury law firm of Johnson, Vorhees & Martucci, inquiring parties can visit https://www.4stateslaw.com/. The law firm provides its legal services to injured plaintiffs across Joplin, Springfield, and Rogers/Bentonville.
