A Florida judge has ruled in favor of a deceased patient’s family in a medical malpractice lawsuit brought against Orlando Health, the Orlando Sentinel reported April 18.
The judge’s ruling requires the health system to pay $45 million to the estate of James R. Sada, according to court documents reviewed by Becker’s.
According to the lawsuit, Mr. Sada arrived at the Orlando Health South Seminole Hospital in Longwood, Fla. via ambulance with heart attack symptoms, but the hospital was not equipped to provide the necessary care. He was then transferred to the catheterization lab at Orlando Regional Medical Center by the Orlando Health Helicopter Air Care team, where he died.
The lawsuit alleges that the health system delayed care when it did not transfer Mr. Sada to a nearby hospital via ambulance, and opted instead to wait for an air transfer to a hospital farther away within the Orlando Health system.
Becker’s has reached out to Orlando Health for comment and will update this story if more information becomes available.
