A 47-year-old Georgia man has been awarded $1.5 million in a medical malpractice suit in the first settlement following the recently overturned state cap on non-economic damages.

The suit was filed against a Georgia hospital and a number of nurses after an intravenous needle was incorrectly inserted into the man’s wrist. The flow of medication into the man’s hand eventually caused it to swell to painful and irreversible proportions. Doctors were forced to perform a number of operations to return the hand to normal, but were unable to save his thumb, which was amputated.

The settlement was awarded only four days after the state supreme court struck down a $350,000 cap on Georgia malpractice suit damages. Had the cap still been in place the settlement would have been limited to a maximum of $400,000.

This man deserved to be compensated for his mental anguish and the loss of his thumb. If you or someone you know has been unjustly injured due to the negligence of a medical professional, contact the New Jersey medical malpractice lawyers of Levinson & Axelrod by calling 800-346-5529.