A Milwaukee County jury awarded $25.3 million to a woman and her husband, finding that the loss of all four of her limbs was caused by medical malpractice.
In 2011, Ascaris Mayo had a Strep A infection, which causes strep throat. The infection went undetected, resulting in septic shock. Because of the damage caused, the woman’s limbs were amputated. Mayo is a 53-year-old mother of four.
Experts said that the case could lead to a challenge to Wisconsin’s cap on non-economic damages. The jury’s award included $1.5 million for the husband’s loss of companionship and $15 million for pain and suffering. However, Wisconsin law limits such damages to $750,000, and the defense attorneys are expected to ask the judge to lower the non-economic damages to that limit.
The jury found that the doctor and physician’s assistant failed to provide Mayo with alternative diagnoses that would have led her to pursue other treatment. In March 2011, Mayo spent nine hours in the hospital being treated for severe abdominal pain, fever and rapid heartbeat. She was discharged and instructed to contact her gynecologist the next day regarding fibroid issues. However, the next day, she collapsed at home. She was then treated for septic shock, but the vascular damage led to the amputation of all four limbs.