Zannini

INTRODUCTION

In early 2015, appellant and plaintiff Ronald Zannini began to experience weakness in his left arm. Mr. Zannini consulted a neurologist, who referred him to respondent neurosurgeon Mark A. Liker, M.D. Dr. Liker diagnosed cervical myelopathy (cervical spinal cord dysfunction) and recommended surgery to relieve pressure on Mr. Zannini’s cervical spine. Dr. Liker performed the surgery on March 25, 2015. Eleven days later, Mr. Zannini experienced paralysis of his arms and legs. He was taken by ambulance to the emergency room and diagnosed with a cervical epidural hematoma – a blood clot. He underwent emergency surgery six hours after arriving at the emergency room. Despite the surgery, he ended up partially quadriplegic, able, after years of physical and occupational therapy, only to breathe on his own and move his left hand to operate his wheelchair. Mr. Zannini believed his partial quadriplegia was due to a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of the epidural hematoma. He attributed the delay to medical malpractice. He and his spouse, Bonnie Zannini, filed a complaint against Dr. Liker and others involved in his treatment in the emergency room. Plaintiffs’ theory was…