Coghlan Wins Another Med Mal Case!

John Coghlan secured a quick defense verdict in a medical malpractice case in Tompkins County Supreme Court. John’s client, a local family physician, performed an examination and diagnosed the Plaintiff with an acute sinus infection. The physician then prescribed Plaintiff Zithromax, an antibiotic, to treat the infection. A few days after Plaintiff was seen by John’s client, she began to feel extremely fatigued and became jaundiced.  She was ultimately diagnosed with hepatitis and the belief was that the condition was caused by an interaction between the Zithromax and an oral chemotherapy medication plaintiff was taking for recurrent skin cancer.  Plaintiff alleged that John’s client deviated by prescribing Zithromax, which she alleged was not an appropriate antibiotic to treat her sinus infection. At trial, John presented expert testimony that the choice of Zithromax as an antibiotic to treat an acute sinus infection was appropriate and within accepted standards of care.  John also presented evidence that there was no medical literature, or warnings from the manufacturers of the two drugs that may have potentially interacted, that warned a combination of the two medications could potentially cause hepatitis.  After deliberating for less than an hour, the jury returned a unanimous defense verdict.