Sharon M Sullivan Personal Representative Of Kevin J Sullivan Deceased v. Carlos E. Rojas et al

On March 22, 2024, the Duval County jury awarded $4,500,000 in damages to the Plaintiff in a Wrongful Death Lawsuit.

Case Background

The lawsuit was filed on July 14, 2020, by Plaintiff Sharon M. Sullivan, Personal Representative of Kevin J. Sullivan, deceased, in the Florida State Circuit Court of Duval County (Case number: 2020-CA-003950). Judge Virginia B. Norton presided over the case. Sharon M. Sullivan, on behalf of Kevin's estate, filed a lawsuit against Dr. Carlos E. Rojas, Dr. Mat Vasquez, and Baptist Primary Care, Inc., alleging medical malpractice, wrongful death, and failure to meet the required standard of care in the medical profession.

Cause

Kevin Sullivan, a resident of St. Johns County, Florida, experienced burning chest pain for two days in January 2019. On January 17, 2019, Sullivan called 911 due to severe, constant chest pain. Emergency medical services arrived and performed an EKG, which was read as normal. However, Sullivan's blood pressure was high, so paramedics transported him to Baptist Medical Center South in Jacksonville, Florida. At the emergency department, Sullivan reported severe chest pain, rating it 10/10 in intensity. Hospital staff performed blood work, administered oxygen, and conducted another EKG. While the EKG was again read as normal, blood tests revealed elevated cardiac enzymes, particularly troponin levels at 0.45. As a result, Sullivan was placed on a nitroglycerin/heparin drip and given morphine for pain relief. Sullivan was subsequently admitted to a telemetry floor at Baptist Medical Center South with a preliminary diagnosis of unstable angina/NSTEMI (Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction). The treatment plan included continuing the heparin and nitroglycerin drips, along with administering a low dose beta blocker, atorvastatin, and aspirin. Dr. Carlos Rojas, a hospitalist employed by Baptist Primary Care, assessed Kevin Sullivan upon admission. He discussed his care plan in detail with cardiologist Dr. Simone Nader. Later, Dr. Nader agreed with the proposed plan and determined that Sullivan was a candidate for left heart catheterization. The plan was for Dr. Nader to see S