Connecticut Jury Verdict in Genao Stroke Case

Case Background

In early 2020, Francisco Genao, a Danbury resident, filed a medical malpractice lawsuit after suffering a debilitating stroke that he believed was preventable. He accused two doctors and a network of hospitals and medical groups of failing to recognize the seriousness of his artery disease and delaying surgery that could have saved him from permanent injury.

The case alleged negligence at multiple levels: poor decision-making by individual doctors, misinterpretation of crucial scans, and failure of hospital systems to enforce proper standards of care. The Defendants denied wrongdoing and said they had acted responsibly given the information available at the time.

Cause that led to the dispute

The lawsuit stemmed from years of treatment for blocked arteries in Genao’s neck. In April 2016, he went to Danbury Hospital with chest pain radiating into his arm. Tests showed that his right carotid artery was critically narrowed. Dr. Plummer, a vascular surgeon, examined him and concluded there was no immediate need for surgery. She recommended monitoring and routine follow-ups.

Over the following months, Genao returned for check-ups. In December 2016, he underwent a CT angiogram of his neck. Dr. Santoro, a radiologist, reported that the artery was about 60 percent blocked. According to the lawsuit, this interpretation played down the true level of narrowing and led Dr. Plummer to continue a conservative approach. She told Genao to return in a year.

In October 2017, Genao suffered a transient ischemic attack, often described as a mini-stroke. He went to Danbury Hospital, where doctors noted his condition but discharged him with instructions to return the following week for surgery. Three days later, before the planned operation, Genao suffered a full-blown stroke.

Injury

The October 2017 stroke changed Genao’s life forever. An MRI revealed damage to the brain’s frontal and parietal regions, and a later surgery uncovered severely ulcerated plaque in the artery. By then the damage was irreversible.

The stroke lef