Elizabeth Njinga suffered from back pain for a long period of time. She was referred to an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Michael Alexiades. The doctor reviewed her x-rays and ordered an MRI.
Dr. Alexiades told Njinga that she had moderate degenerative changes in her hip and that her pain was coming from her hip and her back. The doctor recommended a hip replacement for pain relief.
After undergoing that surgery, Njinga experienced continued pain. Her relationship with her husband has been affected, and she is unable to travel extensively as she once did because of her condition.
Njinga and her husband sued Dr. Alexiades and the hospital in which the surgery was completed, alleging performance of an unnecessary hip surgery and lack of informed consent. The Njinga family asserted that the MRI had shown only mild abnormalities and, therefore, Njinga had not required a hip replacement surgery. The Njinga family claimed that the hip replacement left her with permanent post-operative pain.
After the jury trial, the jury signed a verdict for $6.25 million in favor of the Njinga family. The trial judge denied the defendants’ post-trial motions.
The attorney successfully handling this case for the Njinga family was Jordan K. Merson.
