Hospital Employee Awarded $1 Million in Medical Malpractice Case

By Daniel Hawn

Published on January 12, 2007

Bronx resident Josephine Cruz, 51, went to the Montefiore emergency room seeking treatment for a painfully fractured ankle in Sept. 2000. After having an X-ray taken, Cruz, an accounting representative at the hospital, was treated for the fracture and her ankle was set in a cast by the attending doctor. According to the lawsuit, Cruz’s X-ray was misread and her ankle was improperly treated.

After Cruz was released from the hospital, her ankle failed to heal properly, and she experienced chronic pain, stiffness, difficulty sitting, and other problems.

Additionally, Cruz developed Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome, a condition that includes intense burning pain, skin sensitivity, stiffness, and muscle spasms.

Cruz finally filed the lawsuit after being disabled and out of work for more than a year. The $1 million settlement was reached Jan. 5 after the case went to trial in Bronx Supreme Court.

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