$500,000 Settlement for Teenage Victim

The Maher Law Firm attorney Jennifer Gentry Fernandez represented a teenage girl who had been sexually abused by the mental health counselor who was treating her in the Orange County Juvenile Detention Center. Ms. Fernandez uncovered blatant negligence in the hiring, retention and supervision of the male counselor who was an employee of Lakeside Alternatives, a community mental heath center under contract with the State of Florida to provide counseling at various locations including the Orange County Juvenile Detention Center.

Ms. Fernandez developed a powerful case against Lakeside Alternatives for its negligence in hiring, retaining and supervising Gregory Myers. Not only was Mr. Myers unqualified, he had a criminal history of illegal drug possession and violent behavior and had been arrested for domestic battery just nine months before Lakeside Alternatives hired him.

The case settled for $500,000 a few months after mediation, and after the court had allowed the plaintiff to pursue a claim for punitive damages.

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What do I have to prove in order to recover damages for medical negligence?

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Medical and Hospital Negligence

Healthcare professionals are paid very well to treat disease, alleviate aches and pains, and prevent untimely deaths, not to cause them. Unfortunately, too often physicians, nurses, therapists, and other medical personnel fail to follow the standards of professional practice required under the circumstances. When their negligent acts or omissions cause a new injury, aggravate an existing injury, or lead to untimely death, the patient and/or family members suffer. The Maher Law Firm's medical and hospital negligence team works hard to get them the deserved compensation.

The negligent acts of medical personnel can take several forms, including:

Misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosing a disease, injury, or condition
Anesthesia-related error
Failure to properly treat disease
Prescription errors
Operating on the wrong body part
Failure to fully inform a patient of the risks of a procedure
Failure to monitor a condition
Error during delivery of an infant

Led by partner Steven R. Maher, our team draws on the in-depth medical knowledge and experience of our attorneys as well as our extensive network of medical experts. The team carefully evaluates each potential case. Once our firm accepts the duty of representing the victim in a medical negligence case, we devote our resources to achieving the best possible resolution for the client, including undertaking a meticulous and skilled review of medical records and procedure. The Maher Law Firm limits the number of cases it takes on so that our clients have the best chance of proving negligence to a judge or jury.

Recently, our team’s effort on behalf of a woman who underwent several operations to alleviate an improperly repaired hernia resulted in a $1.2 million jury verdict. Also, we were pleased to help a woman reach a $2.5 million settlement to compensate her for neurological damage and loss of function resulting from surgery performed on the wrong side of her brain.

If you believe that you or a loved one has suffered because of the negligence of a healthcare provider, contact The Maher Law Firm for a confidential and realistic assessment of your case.