He Had a Stroke and Sued for Malpractice. A Jury Awarded Millions—Rare in Idaho.
By Audrey Dutton
An Ada County, Idaho, jury determined last week that Emergency Medicine of Idaho LLC (EMI) must pay $13.5 million in a 2018 medical malpractice lawsuit, marking the second largest medical malpractice jury award in the state's history. The largest award of almost $30 million stemmed from a federal case over two decades ago that involved a physician and hospital in Blaine County. Although Idaho law caps jury awards for damages like pain and suffering at around $400,000 currently, there is an exception for injuries "arising out of willful or reckless misconduct." The jury in Ada County determined that the exception applied in the case that involved a patient at St Luke's Health System who had a stroke, suffered "an irreparable brain injury" and impaired movement, and could no longer work due to alleged delays in care. The jury found that the emergency room physician, a member of EMI's medical team, was reckless in failing to meet standards for medical care, leading to the patient's injuries. The case could be appealed.
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