On December 17, 2021, Goodell DeVries attorneys Thomas V. Monahan, Jr. and Kira E. Zuber obtained a defense verdict for an ENT physician and her practice group following a seven-day jury trial in the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County, Maryland.
The plaintiff alleged that his ENT doctor failed to diagnose a giant cell granuloma, an exceedingly rare benign tumor. He claimed that the delayed diagnosis resulted in surgery to remove a significant portion of the roof of his mouth and that his subsequent difficulties eating, drinking, and speaking caused him to experience PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
The defense established that the ENT physician complied with the standard of care and took all reasonable steps to diagnose the plaintiff's condition. The defense also offered testimony from an otolaryngologist with particular expertise in head and neck surgery that the plaintiff would have required essentially the same surgery even had an earlier diagnosis been made.