DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Wayne County jury has awarded more than $3 million to a woman who was treated for epilepsy for years, despite never having the condition.
The $3 million verdict was reached Monday in Wayne County Circuit Court in the case of Mariah Martinez. She sued Dr. Yasser Awaad And Oakwood Healthcare, which has become part of the Beaumont Health System.
“We are delighted the jury found this physician responsible for his egregious behavior,” said Brian McKeen, managing partner of McKeen & Associates, in a news released. McKeen & Associates represented Martinez.. “Unfortunately, this is just the first in many cases that will be brought against this doctor.”
The suit had alleged that Oakwood administration ignored reports from parents and a pediatrician in Awaad's office that Awaad excessively used EEGs and prescribed anticonvulsant drugs to children who did not need them.
“Experts who testified in the case all agreed that had Awaad been investigated early on it would have been apparent that he was systematically labeling normal EEGs as showing evidence of seizure activity,” said McKeen in a news release. “If the administration had done their duty, hundreds of children would not have been mistreated at his hands.”
McKeen & Associates say they have 250 additional clients who are bringing cases against Awaad, who has not responded to the verdict.
Beaumont released the following statement:
While we respect the jury's verdict, we disagree with the outcome and will appeal this decision. The litigation involving Dr. Yasser Awaad, and Oakwood Healthcare, dates back more than a decade to 2007. While we cannot comment about the specifics of this case because of other pending legal proceedings and patient privacy laws, we believe patients were treated appropriately and disagree with allegations of improper oversight of Dr. Awaad by Oakwood Healthcare.
