$8M Verdict in Maura Gallagher Stamford Hospital Case

Case Background

John P. Gallagher, as administrator of the estate of his late wife, Maura B. Gallagher, brought a medical malpractice and wrongful death action against Stamford Health, Inc., doing business as Stamford Hospital, along with multiple physicians and affiliated medical groups. Maura, a 38-year-old mother expecting twins, had been admitted on May 8, 2017, for a scheduled caesarean section. She displayed signs of preeclampsia, including elevated blood pressure, low platelet count, and high urine protein. Despite these warning signs, the lawsuit claimed her care team failed to act promptly and appropriately, leading to complications during and after surgery.

Events That Had Led to the Dispute

According to the complaint, Maura’s symptoms and test results clearly indicated preeclampsia. The lawsuit alleged that her care team failed to respond to these indicators in time, did not deliver her babies sooner despite dangerous lab findings from May 5, and did not follow standard hospital protocols for managing the condition.

During surgery, Maura’s blood pressure remained high, and she experienced an intraoperative seizure. Instead of treating it as a seizure, records described it as an “anxiety attack” or “panic attack.” After surgery, she continued to experience nausea, vomiting, headaches, and elevated blood pressure, but the Plaintiff claimed these symptoms were treated superficially rather than as warning signs of a neurological emergency.

By mid-afternoon, Maura lost consciousness and began agonal breathing. A CT scan showed a massive, non-survivable intracerebral hemorrhage. She was declared brain dead later that evening and officially pronounced dead the following day.

Injury

Maura’s injuries included severe headaches, vomiting, seizures, dangerously high blood pressure, and an eventual brain bleed. The Plaintiff alleged she endured hours of conscious pain and suffering before her collapse. The brain hemorrhage left her with no chance of survival, causing her death within a day of giving birth.

Damages

The lawsuit sought damages for Maura’s conscious pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of earning capacity. It also sought compensation for the impact of her death on her new-born twins and her family, funera