Everett, Wash.
Published: Monday, March 10, 2008

Jury awards man record $40 million for destroyed heart

Irvine, Calif. company made defective device

By Jim Haley
and Diana Hefley
Herald writers

 EVERETT -- A Snohomish County Superior Court jury this afternoon awarded $40.1 million to a man whose heart was ruined by a malfunctioning machine during an operation at an Everett hospital.

The jury award is the largest in county history and thought to be one of the state's largest personal injury verdicts, lawyers said.

The jury heard five weeks of testimony and argument. It has been deliberating since Tuesday and reached a verdict just before 2 p.m. today.

Lawyers for Paramjit Singh, 54, had asked for up to $38 million in damages to compensate Singh, who had to undergo a heart transplant and is suffering other problems as a result of the injury and anti-rejection drugs he must take.

Edwards Lifesciences Corp. of Irvine, Calif., said it is willing to pay reasonable damages, but not as much as Singh's lawyers were seeking.

Edwards also blames Providence Everett Medical Center for using a damaged cable. The combination of the cable and a faulty line of computer code in a monitor caused a catheter to overheat and burn Singh's heart, jurors were told. Providence wants Edwards to pay it because the company failed to disclose the problem.

The jury ordered Edwards to pay 99.99 percent of the damages to Singh and his family. Providence is responsible for .01 percent of the damages, jurors found.

Edwards also was ordered to pay Providence $310,000 for breaching a contract and fraud.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA