$1.4M Verdict Against Rockland Podiatrist In Malpractice Suit

Written by Berkowitz

The price to pay for negligence can be quite steep, notes medical malpractice experts Berkowitz and Hanna LLC. As experienced litigators for many personal injury and medical malpractice suits that have yielded significant settlement awards for their clients, they were interested to hear about the recent $1.4M verdict in a malpractice suit against a New York podiatrist.

In 2010, Rockland podiatrist Dr. Ira Bernstein performed bunion surgery on a 12-year old girl in a Nyack hospital. He fused his young patient’s growth plates, causing a deformity in her foot. Following the surgery, the pre-teen was unable to stand, walk or run without pain. Now, at sixteen, she will likely need reconstructive surgery. In the malpractice suit filed by her parents, the attorney for the plaintiffs stated that “the surgery was unnecessary” and that “Bernstein failed to adequately disclose risks of the procedures” and “performed the procedures improperly.” A jury agreed with him and awarded the family $1.4M in damages.

Berkowitz and Hanna LLC notes that this is the second time in one year that Dr. Bernstein was found liable in a malpractice suit. A jury recently ordered him to pay a Nyack teacher  $775K for a similar botched surgery that she had when she was a teenager, leaving her with chronic foot pain.

Note: Berkowitz and Hanna LLC did not represent any of the parties in this case.

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