Teressa Hill vs. Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital et al

Case Background

On September 05, 2018, Teressa Hill filed a medical malpractice lawsuit after doctors sutured a laceration on her hand despite glass shards allegedly being present in the wound. The case was filed in the California Superior Court, Los Angeles County.  Judges Elaine W. Mandel and Christopher K. Lui presided over this case. [Case number: BC719301]

Cause

Teressa Hill, a California resident, filed a complaint against Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital and its staff, including Amy Adams, PA-C, and Kirsten Mewaldt, M.D. Hill sought compensation for injuries sustained during treatment at the hospital.

On February 6, 2018, Ms. Hill suffered serious injuries to her left hand after falling at a health club. The fall caused a glass bottle she was holding to shatter, resulting in deep lacerations to her thumb and palm. She was rushed to Cedars-Sinai and arrived around 10:30 a.m., having lost a significant amount of blood due to the severity of her injuries.

Several medical professionals, including Mewaldt and Adams, examined and treated Ms. Hill. They were aware that a shattered glass bottle caused her injuries, as noted in hospital records. Mewaldt performed a quick examination before passing Ms. Hill to Adams for further care. X-rays were taken to check for any glass fragments inside the wounds.

When Adams prepared to close the wounds, Ms. Hill insisted that she could feel glass inside her hand. Despite her pleas, Adams dismissed her concerns, claiming there were no foreign bodies present. Ignoring Ms. Hill’s requests, Adams proceeded to suture both wounds, applying ten stitches to her thumb and three to her palm.

Ms. Hill endured both physical pain and emotional distress, believing that glass shards were still present in her hand. She continued to feel something was wrong despite Adams’ reassurances. Later, hospital staff informed Ms. Hill that she was stable and ready to leave. However, given her significant blood loss, she felt lightheaded and unwell. Cedars-Sinai’s staff insisted she leave unassisted, and she collapsed on her way out, hitting her head on the floor. Her blood pressure dropped dangerously low, and she was admitted overnight for further tests.

On February 8, a hand specialist discovered and removed glass fragments from her hand. This confirmed Ms. Hill’s earlier concerns that the glass had not been fully removed before the suturing.

Damages

Ms. Hill worked as a professional hairdresser and stylist in the television and movie industries for over 30 years. Her hands were essential to her work. Cedars-Sinai’s medical staff knew this when they treated her, as noted in the hospital records, which mentioned her frequent use of her left hand for her profession.

Since the incident, Ms. Hill’s ability to work has been severely affected. The negligence and battery committed by Cedars-Sinai and its staff caused significant economic damages. These damages included future loss of earnings, which Ms. Hill would continue to experience.

Additionally, the emotional and mental distress Ms. Hill endured had been profound. She had repeatedly told Adams that she could feel glass in her hand, but Adams had ignored her concerns. Instead, Adams dismissed Ms. Hill’s statements and insisted that she was mistaken, which was far from the truth.

Key Arguments and Proceedings

Legal Representation

  • Plaintiff(s): Teressa Hill
    • Counsel for Plaintiff(s): Daniel L. Martens
  • Defendant(s): Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital | Amy Adams, PA-C | Kirsten Mewaldt, M.D.
    • Counsel for Defendant(s): Dan L. Longo | Mary C. Trinh | Kathryn Mosely | Lee M. Moulin

Claims

The treatment provided by the medical professionals at Cedars-Sinai was far below the accepted standard of care. Suturing wounds while glass fragments remained inside them was gross negligence and extreme carelessness. Additionally, the hospital and its staff performed the procedure without Ms. Hill’s consent and against her direct instructions.

Furthermore, Cedars-Sinai’s insistence that Ms. Hill leave the hospital led to her fall, CT scan, and hospitalization. This decision caused additional physical, mental, and emotional harm to Ms. Hill.

First Cause of Action: Professional Negligence (Medical Malpractice)

The Defendants had a duty to follow the standard medical care protocols. They failed to adhere to these standards, resulting in negligence.

Second Cause of Action: Medical Battery

The Defendants committed medical battery by disregarding Ms. Hill’s explicit requests. She informed them that glass fragments remained in her hand and asked them not to suture the wounds. Despite her pleas, the Defendants ignored her and performed the procedure without her consent.

Defense

Defendants denied the allegations in Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint, arguing that Plaintiff failed to provide sufficient facts to support any claim. They also argued that Plaintiff did not take reasonable steps to reduce alleged damages, which they specifically denied. Defendants claimed that any damages suffered by Plaintiff resulted from the negligence of third parties and that any potential recovery should be reduced.

Defendants raised several defenses, including the statute of limitations, failure to state a valid cause of action, and Plaintiff’s assumption of risk. They denied liability for damages, stating that these were either unavoidable or caused by other parties. Additional defenses included Plaintiff’s failure to meet statutory requirements, the application of collateral source rules, and the limitation of non-economic damages.

Jury Verdict

On October 09, 2024, the jury found that Amy Adams was not negligent in the diagnosis of Hill and she did not perform the procedure without consent. No liability for Hill’s harm was assigned to the three Defendants, and accordingly, a defense verdict was entered.

Court Documents:

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