The jury in a medical malpractice trial exonerated Salinas
Valley Memorial Hospital and a Salinas-based doctor on Friday, who
were being sued by Hollister resident Dorothy Castillo.
The jury in a medical malpractice trial exonerated Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital and a Salinas-based doctor on Friday, who were being sued by Hollister resident Dorothy Castillo.
After two days and about nine hours of discussion at the San Benito County Court, the jury voted 10-2 in favor of the hospital and 9-3 in favor of Dr. Robert Wlodarczyk, a cardiologist, who Castillo alleged caused her quadriplegia and was suing the defendants for approximately $1.6 million.
No damages were awarded to Castillo, 68.
Castillo sued the hospital and Wlodarczyk for negligence during a 2001 procedure that she claimed resulted in her quadriplegia. Castillo has no feeling from her chest down and cannot move any of her extremities, according to court documents.
The nature of the case makes for a bittersweet victory, said Gary Winkler, Wlodarczyk’s attorney.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time, and while I’m always happy for my clients, I feel a little sad for the plaintiff,” Winkler said. “Because people do get hurt, and even though there’s no negligence they’re hurt and they need help.”
Castillo’s attorney, Victor Stefan, refused to talk about the verdict, but said through his legal assistant that he is “very disappointed and doesn’t want to make any more comments.”
Stefan asked the jury to consider awarding Castillo $1.6 million in damages over a three- to four-year period, which is her life expectancy.
Upon reviewing the evidence presented during the course of the trial, Stephen Lucey, attorney for Salinas Valley Memorial, believes the jury carefully weighed both sides in coming to their decision, which is why it took so long to return a verdict, he said.
“We had a very attentive jury that listened to all the evidence closely… and gave all sides a fair hearing,” Lucey said. “I feel they followed the law.”
Castillo was first admitted to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital for chest and upper back pain in April of 2001. A heart attack and surgery to implant two pacemakers in her heart resulted in complications that ultimately led to her transfer to Salinas Valley Memorial, according to court documents.
Stefan argued that sometime during the operations and transfers, Castillo’s spinal cord was compressed, which led to her quadriplegia over a short period of time.
When Wlodarczyk realized she was having spinal cord complications he made the judgment call not to send her to surgery because he felt she wouldn’t survive it, Winkler said.
While both attorneys for the defense believed their clients were not negligent, Lucey conceded he was worried the jury might not find in his client’s favor, he said.
“All trial attorneys worry,” Lucey said. “If you’re not worried you’re not doing your job or you don’t understand your job.”
