CHARLESTON — Kanawha Circuit Judge Tera Salango set a date for trial in a medical malpractice lawsuit against Charleston Area Medical Center.
A trial is scheduled for Dec. 5 and a pretrial conference is scheduled for Nov. 18. Mandatory mediation is to be completed by Nov. 4. Any third-party complaints must be filed by March 15.
Cora Browning filed the lawsuit against Dr. Robert Crow Jr., Neurological Associates and Charleston Area Medical Center, alleging the wrongful death of her husband, Willis Browning, according to a complaint filed in Kanawha Circuit Court.
Willis Browning fell off his porch at his home on June 8, 2019, and was transported to Princeton Community Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a T5 compression fracture with retropulsion. He was then transported to Charleston Area Medical Center.
Due to the unstable natures of the fractures, Browning underwent a 16.5-hour surgery on June 13 and 14, 2019, by Crow.
"Due to the prolonged nature of the surgery with Mr. Browning in prone position and the blood loss he suffered, together with his co-morbidities and the poly-trauma he suffered, when he was turned from prone to supine, he went in cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated and was required to be intubated from June 13, 2019, until June 18, 2019."
During his admission to the hospital, Willis Browning also suffered pressure ulcers that continued and caused wound complications from which he never recovered.
Cora Browning is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is represented by Eric J. Buckner of Katz Kantor Stonestreet & Buckner in Princeton; and Mark R. Staun of Hartley Law Group in Charleston.
CAMC is represented by Robert M. Sellards and John H. Zickefoose of Bailes Craig Yon & Sellards in Huntington.
Crow and Neurological Associates are represented by Edward C. "Ted" Martin and I. Matthew Mains of Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso in Charleston.
The case is assigned to Circuit Judge Tera Salango.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 21-C-830