Jury told how faulty device changed lives

Harmeet Kaur studied two years of law in her native India. She settled for a teaching certificate after she got married.

Now she’s thinking about going back to school in the United States to become a registered nurse.

Between sobs, Kaur told a Snohomish County Superior Court jury on Wednesday that she observed the concern and kindness of nurses who were caring for her husband, ­Paramjit Singh, who was close to death in 2004 after a medical device burned his heart so badly it became useless.

Kaur slept most nights in a waiting room at the University of Washington Medical Center, while Singh waited about 11 weeks to he get a heart transplant. She watched the nurses attending to him.

“I want to make a difference in other people’s lives,” she told the jury about what could be her new career.

The 45 minutes of testimony was an emotional island in a sea of cold facts, video depositions and piles of documents assembled for a civil lawsuit underway in Judge Linda Krese’s courtroom.

The Singhs are suing the manufacturer of the malfunctioning device, Edwards Lifesciences of Irvine, Calif., alleging that the company knew about a defect in software in a monitor which , under an unusual set of circumstances, could cause a catheter to overheat and destroy a heart.

In this case, Singh went into Providence Everett Medical Center for routine heart bypass surgery. The Vigilance monitor and catheter were used to measure blood flow during parts of the procedure.

According to testimony, hospital doctors didn’t know it was possible for an unused section of computer code in the monitor to trigger overheating and turn off fail-safe measures in the machine.

Jurors also were told about a similar incident in Japan two years before Singh’s heart was destroyed. Paul Luvera, one of Singh’s lawyers, said the company knew about problems with the machine and didn’t fix them.

One expert testified that the catheter’s filament in Singh’s heart reached a temperature of 500 degrees.

Providence also is joining the suit, alleging that it has spent a lot of money on testing and trial work, and has suffered a damaged reputation because of the Edwards product. Edwards, on the other hand, maintains that Providence is partly to blame because it used a damaged cable, and contends that’s one of the triggers for the monitor’s computer code malfunction.

The company’s lawyers have told the jury that Edwards accepts part of the responsibility for the injury to Singh and is willing to pay him a fair amount.

In court on Wednesday, Kaur gave the jury an insight into how the malfunctioning monitor affected her family’s life and a large group of friends and extended family members in Seattle and British Columbia.

In tears and with Luvera’s encouragement, she told the jury that both she and Singh were married previously, but their partners died. They married in 1996 in Vancouver, B.C., settled in Mount Vernon and became American citizens.

Singh, then 52, was healthy and active in 2004 before he went to a hospital in Mount Vernon, she told the jury. He thought he had a pulled muscle, but doctors said he suffered a mild heart attack.

Singh was sent to Providence, a respected cardiovascular treatment facility.

“He was very healthy” before surgery on Oct. 11, 2004, she testified. “He would always wake me up in the morning and make tea for me. He was always a happy camper.”

He’s still weak, and suffers complications from the anti-rejection medication he must continue taking. Singh has already had one round of blood cancer, and could get it again, she said.

Singh also is in danger of kidney failure, and his immune system is weakened because of medications. His life expectancy may now be only another eight to 13 years, according to testimony.

For a long time Kaur had to feed her husband and bathe him, which is tough for an independent man, she said.

“He doesn’t want me to do all those things for him,” she told the jury. “He never has been dependent on anybody all his life.”

He tried to garden, but still tires easily, she said. His memory sometimes fails him.

“He wants to do something and he can’t do it,” she told jurors. He can’t play with his younger children, ages 11 and 7.

“I don’t know how long he will live,” Kaur testified. “We wish that he could live a long life.”

Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or jhaley@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

District 2 candidates differ in public safety approach

Incumbent Paula Rhyne is facing challenger Ryan Crowther. The third candidate, Jonathan Shapiro, is no longer seeking the seat.

From left to right, Edmonds City Council Position 3 candidates Joseph Ademofe, Alex Newman and Erika Barnett.
Amid budget crisis, Edmonds City Council candidates talk revenue, affordability

Three newcomers are facing off for Position 3 on the council, currently held by council President Neil Tibbott.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Everett
Everett approves new fines for non-emergency lifts

The fire department will only issue fines for non-emergency lift assists at licensed care facilities, not for individuals at home calling 911.

Guns for sale at Caso’s Gun-A-Rama in Jersey City, New Jersey, which has been open since 1967. (Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/New Jersey Monitor)
After suing, WA gets carveout from Trump administration plan to return gun conversion devices

The Trump administration has agreed to not distribute devices that turn semi-automatic… Continue reading

The Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility about 16 miles east of Ellensburg in central Washington is part of Puget Sound Energy’s clean energy portfolio. (Courtesy of Puget Sound Energy)
Megabill’s elimination of tax credits for clean energy projects could cost WA $8.7 billion

Washington households could see electricity costs increase $115 per year by 2029; 21,800 workers could lose their jobs by 2030, analysts say.

Everett mayor candidates focus on affordability, city budget in costly race

As incumbent Cassie Franklin seeks a third term in office, three candidates are looking to unseat her.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.