U.S. government pays $7.5 million to medical malpractice victim

U.S. government pays $7.5 million to medical malpractice victim
By TRAVIS J. TRITTEN
Stars and Stripes
Published: August 4, 2011

Court upholds $7.5 million verdict for Air Force spouse who sued U.S. over treatment
District Court of Guam Civil Case No. 06-00008
United States Court of Appeals Document

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — The U.S. government has paid $7.5 million to an Air Force spouse, five months after a federal appeals court upheld the multi-million dollar award, citing negligence on the part of Air Force medical staff that left the woman disabled, the couple’s lawyer confirmed Thursday.

In March, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in California upheld a 2008 verdict by the Guam district court awarding Deborah Rutledge $7.5 million, saying the amount was not excessive considering the extent of injuries she suffered when medical staff at an Andersen Air Force Base clinic on Guam failed for several weeks to diagnose a herniated spinal disk in 2004.
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U.S. government pays $7.5 million to medical malpractice victim