August 2001

A federal jury in Dallas awarded $ 7 million on July 12 to the widow of a 68-year-old retired jockey who died of complications after his air supply was cut off. Jurors, who awarded $ 1 million more than the plaintiff requested, blamed a faulty Siemens-made ventilator for the man's death. The plaintiff was put on the Siemens Servo 900C ventilator after a successful bypass surgery. At some point, the ventilator inexplicably switched from an automatic to a manual breathing mode, cutting off his air supply. In manual mode, the machine's apnea alarm is disabled so the medical personnel did not notice he wasn't breathing, which caused respiratory arrest leading to cardiac arrest. He survived, but during the resuscitative attempts he suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed. He later died from complications due to the stroke and pneumonia. Siemens said the hospital staff, who were not in the case, were responsible. The jury deliberated two hours before finding that the ventilator's design was defective. Anderson v. Siemens Medical Systems, No. 3:98-CV1850-M (N.D., Dallas).

PLAINTIFFS' ATTORNEYS: Richard A. Sayles, Sayles, Lidji & Werbner, Dallas; Robert B. Crotty, Crotty & Johansen, Dallas