New Haven Jury Awards $15.4M in Anesthesia Malpractice Verdict Against Anesthesia Group

Alexander Nieves as the Administrator of the Estate of Maria I. Ocasio v. Meriden-Wallingford Anesthesia Group, P.C. et al

On July 3, 2024, the jury reached a verdict in favor of the plaintiff in an anesthesia malpractice lawsuit, awarding damages totaling $15.4 million.

Case Background

The Anesthesia Malpractice lawsuit was filed on September 26, 2017, by Plaintiff Alexander Nieves as the Administrator of the Estate of Maria I. Ocasio in the Connecticut State, Superior Court of New Haven (Case number: NNH-CV17-6073811-S) and was presided over by Judges James Abram, Jon Blue and Robin Wilson.

Cause

On March 17, 2017, Maria I. Ocasio underwent an elective endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedure at Midstate Medical Center in Connecticut. The Meriden-Wallingford Anesthesia Group, P.C., including anesthesiologist Dr. Guy J. Aliotta and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) Richard Ruey, managed Ocasio's anesthesia. During the procedure, Ocasio experienced severe complications. These included sedation-induced respiratory depression, which progressed to hypoxia. This culminated in cardiopulmonary arrest, resulting in catastrophic anoxic brain encephalopathy. She entered a vegetative state and passed away on April 17, 2017, one month later. Alexander Nieves was appointed Administrator of Ocasio's estate on July 11, 2017, initiating legal proceedings.

Injuries

Ocasio sustained extensive, severe injuries, ultimately fatal. She suffered a severe anoxic brain injury, evident from widespread abnormal diffusion restriction in multiple brain areas, including bilateral basal ganglia and cortical regions. These injuries resulted directly from a pulseless electrical activity (PEA) a