• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

Keches Law Group is now the official law firm of The New England Patriots - Learn More

offical injury law firm of the New England Patriots, Boston Bruins and Free Jacks

en_US English
en_US English es_ES Español pt_BR Português do Brasil
Free Confidential Consultation  (617) 898-0808

Keches Law Group

Workers' Compensation and Injury Lawyers

  • Home
  • Attorneys
  • Practice Areas
    • Personal Injury
    • Workers’ Compensation
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Class Actions
    • Employment Law
    • Social Security Disability
    • Accidental Disability Retirement
    • Insurance Disputes
  • Case Results
  • Client Reviews
  • About
    • News & Media
    • Careers
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • No Fee Policy
    • Keches Cares™ Giving
    • Scholarship Essay Contest
    • Attorney Referrals
  • Search
  • Contact Us
  • en_USEnglish
  • es_ESEspañol
  • pt_BRPortuguês do Brasil

Mobile Menu

  • Home
  • Attorneys
  • Practice Areas
    • Personal Injury
    • Workers’ Compensation
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Class Actions
    • Employment Law
    • Social Security Disability
    • Accidental Disability Retirement
    • Insurance Disputes
  • Case Results
  • Client Reviews
  • About
    • News & Media
    • Careers
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • No Fee Policy
    • Keches Cares™ Giving
    • Scholarship Essay Contest
    • Attorney Referrals
  • Search
  • Contact Us

Call Now. We’re available 24/7.

Se habla español

(617) 898-0808

$2,250,000 Settlement for Man Who Suffered Anoxic Brain Injury Following a Delay in Intubating

You are here: Home / Case Results / $2,250,000 Settlement for Man Who Suffered Anoxic Brain Injury Following a Delay in Intubating

September 16, 2022

LnRiLWZpZWxke21hcmdpbi1ib3R0b206MC43NmVtfS50Yi1maWVsZC0tbGVmdHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOmxlZnR9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1jZW50ZXJ7dGV4dC1hbGlnbjpjZW50ZXJ9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1yaWdodHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOnJpZ2h0fS50Yi1maWVsZF9fc2t5cGVfcHJldmlld3twYWRkaW5nOjEwcHggMjBweDtib3JkZXItcmFkaXVzOjNweDtjb2xvcjojZmZmO2JhY2tncm91bmQ6IzAwYWZlZTtkaXNwbGF5OmlubGluZS1ibG9ja311bC5nbGlkZV9fc2xpZGVze21hcmdpbjowfQ==
IEBtZWRpYSBvbmx5IHNjcmVlbiBhbmQgKG1heC13aWR0aDogNzgxcHgpIHsgICB9IEBtZWRpYSBvbmx5IHNjcmVlbiBhbmQgKG1heC13aWR0aDogNTk5cHgpIHsgICB9IA==
Amount:
$1,200,000
Synopsis:

Attorney Jeffrey Catalano assisted in obtaining a $1,200,000 settlement for a 29-year-old man who suffered an anoxic brain injury and later died following a doctor's delayed decision to intubate him.

Pre-trial offer:
Type of Case:
Medical Malpractice
Location:
Year:
2017
Attorney(s):
Jeffrey Catalano
Type of Resolution:
Settlement

On the morning of February 29, 2012, the decedent, a 29-year-old man, went to the emergency room complaining that he felt his throat closing.

The ER doctor diagnosed angioedema, the rapid swelling of the tongue and throat caused by blood pressure medication. The decedent was transferred to the critical care unit for observation and treatment.

Angioedema can lead to airway obstruction and death if a patient is not intubated and monitored. Early intervention and intubation were especially necessary in this case because the patient continued to suffer airway difficulty, was obese, and had a thick neck and a large swollen tongue. Despite those factors, the defendant attending physician and the resident physician did not establish an early intubation/intervention plan.

The decedent’s condition worsened during the evening. His breathing became more labored, and oxygen levels in his blood dropped dramatically. He began to hallucinate and act combatively.

An on-duty nurse brought the worsening symptoms to the attention of the defendant resident physician and recommended an arterial blood gas. The resident physician did not consult with an anesthesiologist, intubate the decedent, or order an arterial blood gas test at that time. Instead, she ordered an anti-psychotic drug and treatments for sleep apnea, including a BiPAP mask, which worsened the decedent’s breathing difficulties.

When the resident later ordered a blood gas, it confirmed that the decedent needed to be intubated emergently. At that point, the decedent was extremely anxious because he could not breathe and was thrashing about, and the on-call anesthesiologist was unable to intubate him.

The resident then ordered a sedative, which exacerbated the decedent’s respiratory distress. Shortly after that, he went into cardiac and respiratory arrest. He suffered an anoxic brain injury from a prolonged period of hypoxia, leaving him in a vegetative state. A few months later, his family authorized the withdrawal of life support.

The defendant resident argued that she checked in on the decedent consistently and that he was responsive and not in distress. She also testified that she contacted the off-site defendant attending physician that evening, who did not order intubation. The defendant resident’s testimony in discovery was contradicted by nurses on duty at the time.

The decedent was not married or employed but was the primary caregiver for his four children.

The claim against the defendant resident physician settled at mediation.

Tag: Jeffrey Catalano

Primary Sidebar

Free Case Evaluation

Call 617-898-0808 for immediate help or fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you ASAP.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Secure Form

[brb_collection id="2306"]

Footer

About Us
Keches Cares™
Careers
Diversity & Inclusion
Scholarship
Attorney Referrals
No Fee Policy

Recent Blog Posts:

  • Gallery: Salute To Nurses 2025
  • Keches Law Group Proudly Sponsors Boston Globe’s “Salute To Nurses” Celebration
  • We Built This City – Celebrating the workers who keep New England going
  • Keches Law Group Celebrates Five Attorneys Listed Among Best Lawyers®

Contact Us

We are available 24/7 by phone

Se habla Español / Portugues
en_US English
en_US English es_ES Español pt_BR Português do Brasil


Office Hours:
Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM

Saturday, Sunday and evening appointments available upon request.

We’re just a call or click away if you need help.

617-898-0808

Contact Us By Email →

Follow Us:


The Official Injury Law Firm of: official injury law firm

  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • ADA Notice
  • Blog
  • Press Releases

Site Footer

We serve all of MA, NH, RI, CT including the following locations: Bristol County including Attleboro, Fall River, New Bedford, and Taunton; Norfolk County including Brookline, Dedham, Franklin, Milton, and Quincy; Worcester County including Fitchburg, Leominster, Shrewsbury, Westborough, and Worcester; Hampden County including Ludlow, Springfield, West Springfield, and Westfield; Middlesex County including Cambridge, Framingham, Lowell, and Medford; and Plymouth County including Brockton and Plymouth.

Attorney advertisement disclaimer: the information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Any information submitted through a form is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Copyright © 2025 Keches Law Group · All Rights Reserved

en_US English
en_US English
es_ES Español
pt_BR Português do Brasil