$2.8M Verdict In 2nd Trial Over Bogus Epilepsy
DETROIT (AP) — A lawyer says a jury has awarded nearly $2.8 million to a young woman who accused a Detroit-area doctor of misreading tests to come up with an epilepsy diagnosis when she was a child.
The verdict by a Wayne County jury is the second against Dr. Yasser Awaad and Oakwood Healthcare. Lawyers for 18-year-old Claire Linzell say she was one of 250 children who were misdiagnosed.
The verdict was returned Tuesday. The award could be reduced by a judge because it exceeds a cap under Michigan law.
Awaad said he had discovered abnormal brain activity in Linzell during electroencephalograms, or EEGs. She was treated with an anti-seizure medication, but it turned out that the epilepsy diagnosis was wrong.
Attorney Brian McKeen says Awaad was "grossly incompetent or completely lacking in ethics." Awaad's attorney said there was no intentional wrongdoing. Oakwood, now part of Beaumont Health, will appeal.
© 2019 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
