Lou La Cava Obtained a Defense Verdict in a Medical Malpractice Case in Saint Petersburg, Florida

Lou La Cava obtained a defense verdict in a medical malpractice case tried in Saint Petersburg, Florida. The Plaintiff alleged that the defendant Ophthalmologist was negligent in treating a post operative endophthalmitis after a pars plana vitrectomy for a retinal detachment.  The plaintiff argued the intravitreal antibiotics used were at dosages that created too high of a concentration due to the gas bubble placed during  the vitrectomy. They also alleged that this caused retinal toxicity resulting in the total loss of vision in one eye and the future need for an enucleation. They took the position that the standard of care required removing the gas bubble before injecting the antibiotics and if that was done her vision would have been salvaged. The defense position was that the dosage of antibiotics used was necessary to treat the infection and although it was at a  higher concentration, it was not high enough to cause retinal toxicity. Instead, it was the  post operative endophthalmitis which led to the loss of vision. The plaintiff asked for two million dollars  for 4 years of past non economic  damages and asked the jury  to use that number to determine future non economic damages for the next 15 years. After deliberating for approximately 40 minutes the jury returned a total defense verdict.