A Bronx jury awarded $110.6 million to a woman who was left with permanent brain damage and lifelong physical disabilities after doctors at St. Barnabas Hospital made a series of critical treatment errors while managing her asthma attack in 2010. The 2019 verdict stands as one of the largest medical malpractice awards in Bronx County history and illustrates what can happen when a hospital team's decisions cause catastrophic, irreversible harm to a patient.
Key Takeaways
- Keimoneia Redish, a Bronx mother of five, was awarded $110.6 million after an eight-week medical malpractice trial in Bronx County.
- St. Barnabas Hospital doctors failed to transfer her to a facility with a heart-lung machine and instead used treatments that caused a cascade of life-altering complications.
- Redish suffered a seizure, brain damage, and a coma. She now requires assistance for nearly all daily activities and uses a wheelchair permanently.
- The jury awarded $60.7 million for past medical expenses and pain and suffering, and nearly $50 million for future care and related costs.
- When a hospital team's decisions fall below the accepted standard of care and cause permanent injury, New York law allows victims to seek full compensation.
What Happened to Keimoneia Redish at St. Barnabas Hospital?
Keimoneia Redish, a mother of five from the Bronx, had been treated at St. Barnabas Hospital for asthma attacks on roughly 15 to 20 prior occasions. When she arrived at the hospital in 2010 with another severe attack, she was a familiar patient, someone the staff had treated before.
This visit was different.
Redish's condition worsened despite initial treatment. Doctors and residents had a choice: transfer her to a nearby hospital equipped with a heart-lung machine that could have better supported her breathing, or continue treating her with what was available on site. They chose to stay.
The sequence of treatment decisions that followed was, according to the jury, a series of errors:
- Doctors gave Redish an array of asthma medications, including inhaled steroids and nebulizer treatments. These failed to open her bronchial tubes and caused a dangerous buildup of carbon dioxide in her body.
- When those treatments did not work, doctors administered anesthesia, described at trial as a "salvage therapy, when all else fails." The anesthesia caused Redish's blood pressure to drop sharply.
- To address the blood pressure drop, residents pumped fluids into her body. She gained approximately 80 pounds in under six days.
- Redish ultimately suffered a seizure. The damage to her brain was severe.
She survived. But the life she knew before that hospital visit did not.
What Are Keimoneia Redish's Injuries Today?
Redish's injuries are permanent. She uses a wheelchair and has extensive motor deficits that physicians have testified are lifelong. She recovered from the acute phase of her brain damage and coma, but the lasting effects are significant.
She lacks coordination in her arms, legs, and speech. She cannot dress herself or walk without assistance. She requires help with tasks most people perform without a second thought, including putting toothpaste on a toothbrush or getting out of her wheelchair.
Redish is a mother of five children who now needs round-the-clock care because of what happened at that hospital in 2010.
How Did the Bronx Jury Calculate the $110.6 Million Award?
After an eight-week trial, the Bronx jury returned a verdict on April 12, 2019, that broke down into two categories:
Past damages: $60.7 million for Redish's past medical expenses and the pain and suffering she experienced from the time of the malpractice through trial.
Future damages: $49,940,958 covering future medical expenses, required modifications to her apartment, future transportation costs, and future pain and suffering.
Large verdicts like this one reflect the full human and financial cost of a permanent injury, not just the immediate hospital bills. New York law allows juries to consider a victim's entire future when the harm caused is irreversible. For more on how damages are calculated in cases like this, see how much is a medical malpractice case worth.
What Does This Case Say About Hospital Malpractice in New York?
St. Barnabas Hospital is not the only New York City hospital to face significant malpractice liability. Cases like Redish's are a reminder that hospital negligence happens across all five boroughs, and that patients who are most dependent on a medical team for their safety are also among the most vulnerable when that team makes serious errors.
Hospital malpractice in New York can take many forms: a failure to transfer a patient to a better-equipped facility, the misuse of medications, miscommunications between residents and attending physicians, or inadequate monitoring of a patient whose condition is declining.
In Redish's case, the core failure was a decision not to act on what was in front of them. The hospital had a patient with a deteriorating condition, a nearby facility that could have provided better equipment, and a team that chose to continue down a path that caused catastrophic harm.
This case follows a pattern seen in other major New York malpractice verdicts. A 120-million-dollar verdict against a New York hospital and a $23.3 million award against another New York hospital both reflect the same truth: Bronx and New York City juries take medical negligence seriously when the harm is severe and the conduct is clear.
Can a Hospital Be Held Responsible for a Doctor's Decisions?
Yes. Under New York law, hospitals can be held directly liable for their own negligent policies and practices, and also vicariously liable when the negligent providers are hospital employees, such as residents, nurses, or staff physicians.
In cases involving residents, this matters a great deal. Residents work under the hospital's supervision. When their decisions fall below the accepted standard of care and cause injury, the hospital cannot simply distance itself from the outcome.
If you were harmed by a doctor, resident, or medical staff member during a hospital stay, speak with an attorney about whether the hospital itself may bear responsibility. The Bronx personal injury and malpractice team at Michael Gunzburg, P.C. handles these cases throughout New York City.
What Is the Standard of Care in a Medical Malpractice Case?
Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider's treatment falls below the standard of care that a reasonably skilled provider in the same specialty would have followed under the same circumstances. Proving malpractice generally requires showing four things:
- A doctor-patient relationship existed.
- The provider deviated from the accepted standard of care.
- That deviation directly caused the patient's injury.
- The injury resulted in measurable damages.
In Redish's case, the jury found that the decision to withhold transfer and the chain of treatment decisions that followed met that threshold. Expert medical testimony at trial addressed what the standard of care required and how the hospital team's choices departed from it.
For a deeper look at what constitutes a malpractice claim in New York, see do I really have a medical malpractice case under New York City laws.
Are Bronx Medical Malpractice Jury Awards Getting Larger?
Data and case outcomes suggest yes. Legal observers have noted a trend toward larger malpractice verdicts in New York City, particularly in Bronx County. Several factors contribute to this: the severity of injuries juries are seeing, the availability of detailed expert testimony, and a growing willingness among jurors to hold institutions accountable.
The Redish verdict, at $110.6 million, was one of the largest in Bronx County at the time. Months earlier, a Bronx jury delivered a separate multi-million-dollar verdict against the same hospital system. These are not isolated outcomes. They reflect a pattern.
For more on this trend, see are medical malpractice jury awards on the rise?
How Long Do You Have to File a Medical Malpractice Claim in New York?
New York has strict time limits for filing medical malpractice claims. Missing the deadline generally means losing the right to sue, regardless of how serious the injury is. These deadlines can be affected by when the malpractice occurred, when it was discovered, whether a minor was involved, and whether the claim is against a public hospital or authority.
If you or someone in your family was harmed by a doctor or hospital in the Bronx or anywhere in New York City, do not wait to find out whether your claim is still viable. Contact an attorney as soon as possible. The law as of the date of this article reflects current New York statutes, but these rules can change, and your specific circumstances may affect the applicable timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bronx Medical Malpractice Cases
What is the St. Barnabas Hospital asthma brain damage case?
The case involved Keimoneia Redish, a Bronx woman who suffered brain damage, a seizure, and a coma after doctors at St. Barnabas Hospital made a series of treatment errors while treating her for a severe asthma attack in 2010. In 2019, a Bronx jury awarded her $110.6 million, covering both past and future damages. The verdict is one of the largest medical malpractice awards in Bronx County history.
Can I sue a hospital in the Bronx for medical malpractice?
Yes. Hospitals can be held liable under New York law for their own negligent practices and for the acts of physicians, residents, and staff who work as hospital employees. If a hospital's team deviated from the accepted standard of care and that deviation caused you serious harm, you may have a viable malpractice claim. A Bronx medical malpractice lawyer can review your records and advise you on whether you have a case.
What qualifies as medical malpractice in New York?
Medical malpractice in New York requires showing that a healthcare provider deviated from the accepted standard of care and that the deviation caused the patient's injury. Common examples include delayed or missed diagnosis, surgical errors, anesthesia mistakes, failure to transfer a patient to a more capable facility, and medication errors that cause serious harm.
How much is a Bronx medical malpractice case worth?
The value of a malpractice case depends on the severity of the injury, the impact on the victim's quality of life, current and future medical costs, lost earnings, and other factors. The Redish verdict totaled $110.6 million because the harm was catastrophic and permanent. Not every case results in an award of that scale, but serious injuries with lifelong consequences often lead to substantial compensation. See how compensation is determined in New York malpractice cases.
What is wrongful death from medical malpractice in New York?
If a patient dies as a result of a healthcare provider's negligence, surviving family members may be able to bring a wrongful death claim under New York law. These cases are distinct from personal injury claims but follow similar standards of proof. The family must show that the provider's negligence caused the death and that surviving family members suffered financial or other losses as a result.
What should I do if I think a hospital made a mistake that harmed me?
Seek additional medical attention first, then document everything: dates of treatment, names of providers, and a record of your symptoms and what you were told. Get copies of your medical records as soon as possible. Then consult a medical malpractice attorney. Many cases are time-sensitive, and early action helps preserve evidence and protect your legal options.
What types of damages can a medical malpractice victim recover in New York?
In New York, malpractice victims can recover past and future medical expenses, lost wages and earning capacity, costs of home modifications or care required by the injury, and pain and suffering. In catastrophic cases like Redish's, future damages can represent the majority of the total award because the victim faces a lifetime of care needs. Learn more about the types of damages available in New York malpractice cases.
Is there a cap on medical malpractice damages in New York?
As of the date of this article, New York does not impose a cap on compensatory damages in medical malpractice cases. This means juries are not limited in the amount they can award for pain and suffering, medical expenses, or other losses. This is one reason New York malpractice verdicts can reach nine figures in catastrophic injury cases. See is there a damages cap in New York City medical malpractice cases?
How long does a medical malpractice case take in New York?
Most medical malpractice cases in New York take several years from filing to resolution, whether through settlement or verdict. Cases involving serious injuries, multiple defendants, or disputed liability often take longer because they require extensive expert review, discovery, and pre-trial proceedings. The Redish case went to an eight-week jury trial, which is not uncommon in complex malpractice matters.
Why Families in the Bronx and Across New York City Turn to Michael Gunzburg, P.C.
Medical malpractice cases against hospitals and medical institutions are among the most complex personal injury matters in New York. They require expert witnesses, detailed medical record analysis, and a thorough understanding of how the standard of care applies in specific clinical situations.
Michael Gunzburg, P.C. has represented seriously injured clients and their families in medical malpractice cases throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island for nearly four decades. Attorney Michael Gunzburg holds dual credentials as a licensed attorney and a Certified Public Accountant, a combination that directly supports the economic analysis required in catastrophic injury cases like Redish's, where future damages projections involve complex financial calculations.
The firm handles cases on a contingency fee basis. There is no fee unless compensation is recovered.
If you or a family member was seriously injured by a hospital or doctor in the Bronx or anywhere in New York City, contact Michael Gunzburg, P.C. at (212) 725-8500 for a consultation. The firm's medical malpractice practice is available to clients throughout New York City and surrounding areas.
Related Reading
- What types of damages are available in New York City medical malpractice cases?
- Hospital malpractice in New York City
- Anesthesia errors and malpractice in New York
- Bronx personal injury and malpractice attorney
- Medical malpractice attorneys in New York City
- Common questions about medical malpractice cases in New York City
- Are medical malpractice jury awards on the rise?
