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CONFIDENTIAL

Oct. 2, 1999

Personal Injury (Non-Vehicular)
Professional Negligence
Medical Malpractice

Confidential

Settlement –  $0

Court

Riverside Superior


Attorneys

Plaintiff

Stanley M. Becker


Defendant

Grant Puleo

Matthew D. Rifat
(Law Offices of Matthew D. Rifat)


Experts

Plaintiff

R. David Garrett
(medical)

Defendant

Gary Dorfman
(medical)

Facts

On June 21, 1996, the plaintiff, a 54-year-old high school drama coach, underwent surgery to remove a neuroma in her foot that had been causing her pain in the third interspace of her right foot. The defendant podiatrist performed the surgery. The plaintiff claimed that the defendant podiatrist left a "wire-like" foreign body in her foot. The plaintiff brought this action against the defendant podiatrist based on professional negligence theories of recovery.

Settlement Discussions

The plaintiff made a settlement demand for $50,000. The defendant made a settlement offer of a waiver of costs.

Damages

The plaintiff claimed in excess of $250,000 in damages.

Injuries

The plaintiff claimed she suffred the introduction of a foreign body into her foot, resulting in pain and infection and requiring an additional surgery to remove it.

Other Information

The settlement was reached approximately one year after the case was filed. At trial, the defendant showed the jury post-operative x-rays which showed no foreign body. Thereafter, the plaintiff dismissed the case for a waiver of costs.


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