Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Jury Awards $120 Million To Woman In NYC Hospitals Malpractice Suit
By
Jen Chung
Published May 26, 2012
Modified May 26, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published May 26, 2012
Modified May 26, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A woman whose family alleged that she was suffered brain damage and was left incapacitated by hospital treatment was awarded $120 million by a Bronx jury yesterday. According to the NY Times, "The ruling allocated primary responsibility to two city hospitals: 50 percent to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, and 40 percent to Kings County Hospital Center in Brooklyn. It also allocated 5 percent responsibility to Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center, and 4 percent to one of its neurologists." Naturally, the city plans to appeal.
Jacqueline Martin, a mother of two, was treated, initially for a seizure, by the three hospitals in February 2004. Her lawyer Jeffrey Moore explained that "medical personnel mismanaged Ms. Martin’s medications, failed to respond swiftly to crises and did not provide essential treatments. She developed swelling in her face, eyes and throat in an allergic reaction to anti-seizure medication. She was later diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare and severe skin disorder, Mr. Moore said." The lawsuit was filed by her mother.
The city's Health and Hospitals Corporation pointed out that Martin had earned less than $40,000/year as a claims adjuster, but the jury awarded her $10 million in lost earnings. Moore said that while some aspects of judgement might be "excessive," overall it was "totally consistent" given the horrors the state Martin is currently in.
Civil juries in the Bronx are considered the most generous in the city; a personal injury lawyer told the AP in 1990, "If I'm a plaintiff, I rather be there than anyplace in the world."
Tagged
brain damage
bronx
civil suit
jacqueline martin
judgement
malpractice
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC Council to grill Mamdani officials on collapsed Hunts Point Produce Market deal
Council Speaker Julie Menin called the $650 million plan "mission critical."
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 22, 2026 at 2:16 p.m. ET
NYPD arrests 17-year-old in fatal Midtown subway platform shooting
Police say the teenager faces murder and weapons charges in Saturday’s shooting of 26-year-old Bronx resident Darrel Rodriguez.
By
Charles Lane
News
NYPD arrests 17-year-old in fatal Midtown subway platform shooting
Police say the teenager faces murder and weapons charges in Saturday’s shooting of 26-year-old Bronx resident Darrel Rodriguez.
By
Charles Lane
Ex-Adams aide accused of pocketing kickbacks from community program funds
By
Samantha Max
MTA to begin 6-year project to upgrade signal tech on A and C lines in Brooklyn and Queens
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Former NYPD detective held on $1M bail after police say he shot driver on GWB
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Charles Lane
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .