A Howard County (Maryland) jury earlier this month rendered a $7.25 million verdict in a medical malpractice case brought on behalf of a 23-year-old who died of a recurrent pulmonary embolism five weeks after his doctor took him off a blood thinner and prescribed baby aspirin instead.
Zion Lewis, a student at the University of Charleston, in West Virginia, died at his mom's house in December 2021, a year and a half after he went to a local emergency room because of shortness of breath.
Lewis was diagnosed with bilateral pulmonary emboli, or partial blockages to blood vessels in both of his lungs. He was prescribed Xarelto and Pradaxa to lessen the risk of clots. He also had a history of hypertension and obesity, according to court records.
In November 2021, Lewis told his doctor, Yousuf Abdul Gaffar, that he was considering surgery to remove a facial lipoma, a benign lump of fatty tissue, but didn't have a date set for surgery. His health had been improving, court records state, and Gaffar advised him not to renew his Pradaxa prescription, replacing it with baby aspirin.
Five weeks after he discontinued Pradaxa, while he was at home on a break from college, his mother, Sandra Christie, found him dead in his bedroom.
His parents -- Christie and Toby Lewis, of York County, Pennsylvania -- sued Gaffar and Maryland Oncology Hematology in Howard County Circuit Court in May of 2023.
The jury awarded $3.75 million to Christie, $3 million to Toby Lewis and $500,000 to the estate of Zion Lewis.
Before the trial, settlement talks were unsuccessful.
Christie and Lewis were represented by Marissa Joelson and Aaron Parker of Peter Angelos Law. They believe the verdict to be among the biggest medical malpractice verdicts in Howard County history.
Joelson and Parker argued Lewis should have been on Pradaxa indefinitely.
"Marissa and Aaron achieved an extraordinary, historic decision through their tireless work," Will Minkin, a partner at Peter Angelos Law, stated in a press release. "We are proud to continue our firm's ongoing legacy of securing justice for victims and their families."
The defendants were represented by Charles "Chad" Joseph and Luciana Brienza at Baxter Baker Sidle Conn & Jones. Joseph defended Gaffar's treatment of Lewis.
"Dr. Gaffar is an excellent hematologist who tried to help Zion," Joseph said in an email to The Daily Record.
"The evidence and testimony illustrated the reasonableness of his care. Our jury system is one of the best ways to resolve disputes. Unfortunately, I believe this case was one of the rare situations where the jury's verdict, which includes its award of damages, did not match up with the evidence and testimony."
Maryland Oncology Hematology did not respond to a request for comment. According to his LinkedIn Page, Gaffar began a new job last month as a medical oncologist/hematologist at AdventHealth Porter Cancer Center in Denver.
Howard County Circuit Court Judge Lara Weathersbee presided over the trial.