Date: 11-09-2015

Case Style: MATTHEW LATIMER AND KAREN LATIMER V. DR. ELISABETH EVANS AND ISSAQUAH OB/GYN

Case Number: 14-2-27086-1SEA

Judge: Judith Ramseyer

Court: Superior Court, King County, Washington

Plaintiff's Attorney: Bethany Milto Lee, Nelson Lee & Chris Anderson of Lee & Lee

Defendant's Attorney: Amy Forbis & Jennifer Gannon Crisera of Bennett Bigelow & Leedom

Description: lff Karen, female age 44, homemaker. Plff underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy performed by Dr. Elisabeth Evans at Overlake Hospital Medical Center, following several months of severe abdominal pain. Following surgery, Plff’s left leg appeared blue and mottled, and Dr. Evan immediately called for a vascular surgery consultation. Upon reviewing a venous duplex Doppler study, Plff was felt to have experienced a post-surgical deep vein thrombosis and she was scheduled to receive a clot-busting medication (tPA). The tPA was not effective at clearing Plff’s clot, and further imaging revealed that her left external iliac vein had been inadvertently ligated during surgery. Plff underwent procedures to reconstruct and stent the vein at Overlake, the Mayo Clinic, and the University of Washington (UW) Medical Center. Plff and her husband brought suit against Dr. Evans, Overlake Hospital, and co-surgeon Dr. Mark Fan. Plffs claimed that Dr. Evans had breached the standard of care in her treatment of Ms. Latimer. Def. Dr. Evans explained at trial, as did her expert witness, that Plff’s anatomy was extremely distorted as a result of fibroids and that in retrospect; the left external iliac vein must have been pulled out of its normal position deep within the pelvis and ligated during removal of the fibroids.

Outcome: Defendant's verdict.

Plaintiff's Experts: Theodore Becker, Ph.D.; William Brandt (Economist); Merrill Cohen (Life Care Planner)

Defendant's Experts:

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