Kelley/Uustal is pleased to announce that Attorneys Bonnie A. Navin, Kimberly L. Wald, and Robert W. Kelley have been named the “Most Effective Lawyers of 2016” by the Daily Business Review in the area of Medical Malpractice. The special report was published on Monday, December 5, 2016.
The report shared Kelley/Uustal’s recent court victory resulting in a $4.3 million verdict for the family of Patricia Belzi, a 24-year-old mother who died in a vegetative state months after losing oxygen to her brain during labor. Belzi had been 33 weeks pregnant when she was admitted to the hospital for shortness of breath in August 2014. While she was placed on oxygen by first responders, her breathing aid was removed by hospital staff and was never replaced, eventually leading to fatal brain damage.
Faced with a difficult decision, Navin, Wald, and Kelley opted for arbitration on behalf of Belzi’s surviving husband and daughter, as Florida tort law limits recovery for non-economic damages (such as pain and suffering), to $250,000 per claimant. After their skillful presentation of the case, the jury awarded $1.81 million for loss of household services, $1.4 million for loss of support, and the statutory maximum of $250,000 each for Mr. Bernard Belzi and his daughter, Abigail. An additional $560,000 was awarded in legal fees and costs, as well as $23,000 for funeral expenses.
We are extremely proud of the outcome of this case and are thankful to have helped this deserving family receive compensation for their tragic loss.
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