Woman Paralyzed by Stroke During Migraine Treatment Awarded $22M

A California jury has awarded $22 million to a woman who was paralyzed as a result of medical negligence during a treatment for migraines. 

Robyn Frankel filed a medical malpractice lawsuit after she suffered a stroke in 2006, while being treated for migraines at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation.

According to the complaint, Frankel suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed after she had a reaction to a dye that was used during a cerebral angiogram to help improve the results. Frankel alleged that she was not properly warned about the risks of the procedure and therefore could not have given informed consent.

Last week, a Santa Clara County jury ruled in Frankel’s favor, awarding $16 million for past and future economic losses and medical expenses, and $6 million for pain and suffering. A cap on non-economic damages in California law will limit that $6 million to $250,000, however.

Another defendant, Stanford University Medical Center, settled with Frankel for an undisclosed amount before trial.

During the trial, experts on behalf of Frankel testified that the cerebral angiogram had been medically unnecessary and would have been useless in determining the cause of Frankel’s migraines, which she has suffered most of her life.

The Palo Alto Medical Foundation has indicated that it disagrees with the jury’s verdict, which determined that health care providers had been negligent, and is weighing its legal options.