Johns Hopkins Hospital Malpractice Claims

The Johns Hopkins medical facilities are the second largest employer in Maryland with over 20,000 employees (the University employs another 27,000 people). The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore is massive with over 1,000 beds and over 1,710 full-time physicians on staff. It handles over 114,000 patient admissions every year. It brings in an astounding $7.7 billion a year in revenues.

It is not hyperbole to say that this hospital is responsible for shaping a great deal of modern medicine. If you are a Maryland resident, you should consider yourself lucky to have access to this unbelievable institution. Calling Hopkins a big and great hospital is like saying LeBron James is good at basketball. This is a great hospital. No one disagrees with this.

You don’t win these cases by arguing this hospital is a cesspool of malpractice. You win cases against Hopkins by telling the jury that, of course, it is a great institution, but, like all medical institutions, it makes mistakes, and one was made in this particular case.

We’ve heard some plaintiffs’ lawyers suggest that there are two Johns Hopkins: one for the world and one for the residents of the City of Baltimore. No matter how you look at it, while this is an excellent health care provider with great doctors, it is a big facility, and dangerous mistakes happen there that should not occur.

• Video that explains what you can expect bringing a medical malpractice claim against Johns Hopkins.

The Johns Hopkins Group

Johns Hopkins has been successfully acquiring and assimilating other medical institutions, and it is spreading throughout Maryland. The following hospitals are part of Johns Hopkins Medicine:

• Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, Maryland)
• Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center (Baltimore, Maryland)
• Kennedy Krieger Institute (Baltimore, Maryland)
• Howard County General Hospital (Columbia, Maryland)
• Sibley Hospital (Washington, D.C.)
• Suburban Hospital (Bethesda, Maryland)
• All Children’s Hospital (St. Petersburg, Florida)

So if you sue one of these hospitals, you are essentially suing Johns Hopkins.

Where To File Johns Hopkins Hospital Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

Two of the main Johns Hopkins hospitals are located in Baltimore City, so many malpractice cases are filed there. Baltimore City (and its jurors) have a well-deserved reputation among plaintiffs’ lawyers. Other Hopkins entities exist in other counties and states, however, so it is not uncommon to see lawsuits filed in Montgomery County and Washington, D.C.

Verdicts and Reported Cases

 

Johns Hopkins was subject to a $55 million Baltimore City jury verdict in June 2012 (Maryland law automatically reduces the verdict to about $29.6 million). The plaintiffs alleged and successfully proved that Johns Hopkins failed to perform a timely cesarean section and that the child was deprived of oxygen and suffered brain damage and developmental delays.

In many cases, Johns Hopkins acts reasonably and attempts to settle meritorious cases before lawsuits are filed if they are fact, and medical testimony against the hospital is clearly presented. Of course, we sometimes disagree with on what worthy cases are, but the fact remains that a lawsuit and trial is not always necessary against Hopkins. Our read is that they are far more willing to stand up when they make a medical mistake than the vast majority of Maryland hospitals.

Johns Hopkins Verdicts and Settlements

$190 Million Settlement: Hopkins agreed to pay a settlement of $190 million to a group of female patients who alleged that a Hopkins OB/GYN used hidden cameras to take pictures and videos of them during exams. The plaintiff group included over 1,000 former patients.

$235,000 Settlement: The plaintiffs claimed their daughter (a disabled minor) sustained bruises in the hospital, was incorrectly given Valium orally rather than intravenously, failed to provide a calming swing, used inappropriate restraint and was negligently left unattended. They also alleged the staff failed to notice the bruising, failed to keep proper medical records of their daughter and post humorously changed the medical records.

$55 Million Verdict: a male infant, reportedly suffered hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, resulting in cerebral palsy, developmental delays, brain damage, and multiple physical and mental disabilities, during his birth at defendant Johns Hopkins Hospital. The plaintiff claimed the infant’s mother went into labor at home with a nurse midwife, the midwife called 911 when there was no progression to delivery, and the mother was transported to the defendant hospital, but the physicians at the hospital failed to recognize signs of fetal distress and did not deliver the infant until over two hours later.

Johns Hopkins’ Legal Defense Team

Here in Maryland, Johns Hopkins Hospital malpractice claims are often defended in medical malpractice lawsuits by attorneys Goodell, DeVries, Leech & Dann (Donald DeVries). This law firm is among the best medical malpractice defense firms in the state.

There are some other law firms that have also represented Johns Hopkins in 2015-2018 in medical negligence claims, including Warnach & Brown, Chason, Rosner, Leary & Marshall, Pessin Katz Law, and Morgan, Carlo, Downs & Everton. Certainly, Hopkins’ lawyers are very competent to handle these cases and are going to fight – as we are – at every turn.

Hopkins used to have a reputation among medical malpractice lawyers that it was one of the few hospitals willing to own up to its own mistakes before a lawsuit if filed. That reputation has diminished in recent years as this hospital appears to be taking a harder line on malpractice cases.

If you wish to serve Johns Hopkins Hospital, you would serve:

Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation
600 N. Wolfe Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21205

Serve On:
Joanne E. Pollak, Esq.
600 N. Wolfe Street
Administration 414
Baltimore, Maryland 21205

Recently Filed Cases Against Johns Hopkins

Below are summaries of medical malpractice cases against Hopkins that have been filed in the Health Claims Arbitration Office. These give you a good overview of exactly what types of Malpractice claims get filed against Hopkins.

• Jacobs v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – medical malpractice case involving premature hospital discharge
• Melhorn v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – medical malpractice case involving doctor failing to provide timely care to fix glaucoma
• Leidman v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – wrongful death case for woman who died from myocardial infarction after a doctor delayed a nuclear stress test
• Renaud v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – failure to diagnose and treat case for child who had heart defects
• Holden v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – wrongful death case for a woman who died during surgery due to doctor’s error
• Heyman v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – medical malpractice case involving woman who suffered infection after surgery
• Alhaeri v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – medical malpractice case involving disabled man suffering permanent cognitive impairment after doctor provided inadequate care
• Almonte v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – medical malpractice case involving child losing ability to swallow due to surgical error
• Radding v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – medical negligence case involving doctor falsifying medical records
• Warnell v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – wrongful death case for a child who died from infection after doctors improperly cared for a bowel resection
• Uzoho v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – negligent care when doctor failed to perform a cerclage on woman who was funneling
• Rodriguez v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – 32-year-old man suffers permanent disability after malpractice during spinal surgery
• Rolls v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – A patient was exposed to a number of uninformed and unnecessary risks after a doctor misdiagnoses the severity of his heart blockage
• Lagarelli v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – A patient becomes diagnosed with cancer after a doctor negligently performs a surgical cyst resection
• Amend v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – pediatric neurologist allegedly caused permanent injury to a 13-year-old boy during a lumbar puncture
• Herzog v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – surgery error during bowel perforation
• Gilman v. Johns Hopkins – brain injury from negligently performed embolization
• Frank v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – a negligent intramuscular injection that caused nerve damage
• Curran v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – doctors negligently removed a man’s pancreas to treat his unrelated abdominal pain
• Kelley v. Johns Hopkins – surgical error during open heart surgery
• Mugar v. Johns Hopkins – failure to properly treat an infant with a collapsed lung after birth that led to the child’s death
• Burgamy v. Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center – abdominal aortic aneurysm misdiagnosis and failure to treat claim.
• Cole v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – failure to order brain lesion biopsy to diagnose a brain tumor and immunodeficiency disease.
• Donnelly-Pesa v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – negligent spinal fusion revision surgery lawsuit filed by at Chiari malformation patient
• Raine v. Johns Hopkins – lawsuit claims mismanaged heparin-induced thrombocytopenia caused man’s death
• Messick v. Johns Hopkins – lawsuit claims woman died as the result of a complication from getting the wrong chemotherapy for four months
• Carroll v. Johns Hopkins – wrongful death lawsuit claiming negligence treating fluid around the patient’s heart
• Moses v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – unnecessary Whipple procedure lead to the removal of patient’s pancreas, gallbladder, and a large portion of his gastrointestinal tract
•  Jackson v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – wrongful detention of a man who came to the hospital for pain management
• Bentt v. Johns Hopkins – this is a lawsuit by an anesthesiologist in Washington, D.C. who alleges a Hopkins doctor did not properly perform his heart surgery
•  Rongione v. Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center – surgeon during a hip replacement procedure used the wrong acetabular cup
• Cerato v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – a surgical error that leads to partial removal of the patient’s kidney.
• Melnychenko v. Johns Hopkins — failure to administer antibiotics to fight infection claim
• El-Ghabbar v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – doctors misdiagnosed an intra-abdominal leak that led to the patient’s death
• Wisniewski v. Johns Hopkins Bayview — bedsore infection leading to sepsis and death lawsuit against Hopkins and an Annapolis nursing home
• Ratliff v. Johns Hopkins Bayview – medication error malpractice case
• Wallick v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – eye surgery malpractice claim
• Srivastav v. Johns Hopkins Hospital — malpractice during a c-section caused injury to the mother
• Miller v. Johns Hopkins Hospital — improper use of Plavix caused death
• Williams v. Johns Hopkins — cerebral palsy from failure to perform c-section at Howard County General
• Morgan v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – failure to diagnose portal vein thrombosis
• Jones v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – failure to timely treat, causing a stillborn child
•  TDJ v. JHU Children’s Hospital – medical negligence resulting in the birth of full-term son pronounced dead
• Benesh v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – incorrect diagnosis of a condition
• Branson v. JHH: Heart surgery malpractice
• Thiam v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – failure to properly harvest bone marrow from a donor, permanent injury
•  Yasinova v. Johns Hopkins Bayview – failure to check conditions
• Cooper v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – failure to remove gauze after surgery
• L.M. v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – failure to provide appropriate care
• Patrick v. Johns Hopkins – failure to properly handle mother during delivery, resulting in injuries to the child
• Barbacow v. Johns Hopkins Health – failure to properly diagnose & treat before discharge
• Corbin v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – failure to timely recognize signs & symptoms of an epidural abscess
• Meyers v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – hernia repair surgery failed to create sufficient space
• Estate of Baynard v. Johns Hopkins – negligent rendering of care causing injuries leading to patient’s death
• Dubin v. JHH: Patients suffered a burn on her stomach from a hot pack after surgery
• Savoy v. JHH: Negligent dialysis case
• Taub v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – struck nerve while initiating blood donation
• Reimold v. John Hopkins — told he could return to playing baseball too soon after spinal surgery (interesting thing about this case is the plaintiff was a well-known Baltimore Oriole)
• Bowen v. Johns Hopkins Bayview – negligent laceration of left and middle hepatic veins in surgery, death
• Chesley v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – failure to inform of side effects and risks accompanying the procedure
• Cramer v. Johns Hopkins Bayview – negligent care due to not giving enough plasma before the procedure
• Meagher v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – failure to diagnose & treat perforated colon leading to sepsis & death
• Handleman v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – failure to properly monitor a condition
• Singleton v. Johns Hopkins – failure to perform back operation properly, leading to paralysis
• Abdullah v. Johns Hopkins Pharaquip – negligent prescription giving to patient trigger a s
  evere reaction
• Kirby v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – failure to provide appropriate care leading to permanent brain injury
• Friedenberg v. Johns Hopkins Health – removal of parathyroid (neck glands)without permission
•  Huber v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – negligent feeding of plaintiff while in hospital causing her to choke
• Schultz v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – neck operation without justifications within the standard of care
• Waddy v. Johns Hopkins Health – failure to perform a procedure, caused serious injuries
• Etal v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – negligent care causing wrongful death
• Clifton v. Johns Hopkins Health – deviation from the standard of care causing severe brain damage
• Thompson v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – failure to properly perform sterilization
• Al-Ameri v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – failure to evaluate effects and results of minor’s treatment
• Schilling v. Johns Hopkins Bayview – contraindicated and unnecessary surgery performed
• Pinieski v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – infant sustained brain damage due to failure to diagnose meningitis post-chemotherapy
• Reimold v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – medical negligence in failing to interpret radiographic studies correctly
• Branch v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – minor child suffered a brain injury due to failure to treat cortical necrosis
• May v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – the patient was incorrectly diagnosed with lung cancer and had surgery. Later correctly diagnosed with California fever (coccidioidomycosis infection)
• Townsend v. Johns Hopkins Bayview – failure to use high fall-risk prevention procedures with 79-year old
• Williams v. Johns Hopkins Bayview – placement of the patient in upright position caused her to fall
• Malinski v. Johns Hopkins Bayview – failure to properly inform a patient of gestational diabetes risk
• Emery v. Johns Hopkins Hospital – medication error causing seizures
• Lee v. JHH -misdiagnosis of arterial thromboembolism (blood clot)

We publish these to show the types of claims that are being brought against this hospital. But there is another reason, too. Many people assume that because Hopkins is such a world-class hospital, it must be that they are confused, and there couldn’t have been a mistake. But great hospitals make awful errors. Hopkins is no exception.

Contact Us

If you were injured at any of the Johns Hopkins-affiliated hospitals, contact our medical malpractice lawyers at 1.800.553.8082, or send us a free internet request for consultation. We have worked with medical experts in every specialty, and we can help you determine whether you qualify for a lawsuit.

More Information

• Interrogatories from Johns Hopkins: a sample of the written questions Johns Hopkins’ lawyers will ask in a malpractice case
• Overview of medical malpractice claims in Maryland
• Hospital Malpractice Cases: an overview of claims against hospitals
• Frequently Asked Malpractice Questions