Settlements & Verdicts
Estate of Johanna Collins v. Satish Shah, M.D.
3/6/2006—In September 2001, a jury in the Adams County Court of Common Pleas returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, awarding damages of $700,000 to the Estate of Johanna Collins. The estate was represented by Joseph L. Messa, Jr. and Elizabeth Moskow of Messa & Associates, who alleged that negligence on the part of Mrs. Collins’ treating physician caused her death.
After undergoing a radical mastectomy in April 1993, Mrs. Collins came under the care of Satish Shah, M.D. for chemotherapy. Liver function tests and blood work were normal at that time. In June 1993, after three cycles of chemotherapy, Mrs. Collins reported to Dr. Shah that she was feeling poorly. Blood was taken for a liver function analysis, and the doctor administered the fourth cycle of chemotherapy.
Two days later, the doctor neglected to inform Mrs. Collins that her blood work showed abnormal liver function. When she returned to the doctor’s office two weeks later, still not feeling well, Dr. Shah repeated the liver function tests, which revealed that the liver enzymes were more than ten times normal levels, and Mrs. Collins was admitted to the hospital. The next day Mrs. Collins was diagnosed with acute Hepatitis B. Her liver function continued to deteriorate with many enzymes at critical levels. Rather than transfer his patient to a liver treatment or transfer center, Dr. Shah discharged her on June 28th. On July 22, 1993, Mrs. Collins died from fulminant liver failure secondary to acute Hepatitis B.
