Date: 05-01-2000

Case Style: Raymond Hutson, deceased, vs. Dr. Rao Sureddi and Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma

Case Number: CJ 99- 141

Judge: Farrell Hatch

Court: District Court, Bryan County, Oklahoma

Plaintiff's Attorney: Ken Peterson, Wichita, Kansas; Tim Moore, Wichita; and John McMurry, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Defendant's Attorney: Robert Mitchell and Mike Belanger, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for Dr. Sureddi and John R. Paul and Leah Kinsey, Tulsa for Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma

Description: Medical malpractice/wrongful death. Raymond Hutson was a 55-year-old male who was involved in a motor vehicle accident and taken to the emergency room at Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma in Durant, Oklahoma. He was admitted to the Hospital under the care of Dr. Sureddi, general surgeon. Two days later he was taken to surgery for an exploratory laparotomy, developed a laceration in the heart, and died during surgery.

Plaintiff argued Mr Hutson developed cardiac tamponade before surgery which was not recognized by the nursing staff and Dr. Sureddi, and, the laceration of the heart occurred during the insertion of a chest tube by Dr. Sureddi; defendants argued the patient did not have tamponade, and, the laceration was a result of the motor vehicle accident that didn't fully develop until surgery.

Outcome: Defense verdict for the Hospital and plaintiff's verdict against Dr. Sureddi for $900,000.

Plaintiff's Experts: Dr. Benson Powell, Grand Junction, Colorado, surgeon; Karen Wheeler, R.N., Wichita, Kansas; Dr. Chris Sperry, Atlanta, Georgia

Defendant's Experts: Dr. James Totoro, Oklahoma City Dr. John Randolph, Oklahoma City Dr. Ned Austin, Enid, Oklahoma, forensic pathologist and Barbara Martin, R.N., Tulsa, Oklahoma

Comments: None