New City, New York – Fellows Hymowitz Rice has secured a $4.3 million medical malpractice settlement for a teenage patient who suffered life-threatening complications after bariatric weight loss surgery at a prominent New York City medical institution. The case settled before trial in October. Because the settlement is structured, it is expected to pay out several million dollars more to the client over time.
The young woman underwent gastric bypass surgery with a well-known bariatric surgeon who told her the procedure would go smoothly. At first, it appeared to. Within days, she developed a severe complication that required several repair surgeries and a hospital stay of nearly a year.
Firm partner Steven R. Hymowitz handled the case. He reviewed the medical records, researched the procedure and worked with medical experts to find out what went wrong.
The investigation found evidence that the surgeon did not properly close the intestinal connections created during the bypass. That allowed an anastomotic leak, in which bowel contents spill into the abdominal cavity. The condition can cause severe infection and can be fatal if it is not caught and treated quickly.
“Cases like this come down to the medicine. You have to understand exactly what the surgeon did, and what the standard of care required, before you can prove anything,” Hymowitz said. “Once we had the records and the right experts, the errors were clear. This young woman went through nearly a year of surgeries and recovery, and her courage the whole way through was remarkable.”
The surgery was meant to improve her long-term health. Instead, it led to repeated operations, months of hospitalization and serious physical and emotional harm. The structured settlement is designed to give her financial security for years to come.
Anastomotic leaks are among the most serious complications of gastric bypass surgery. Patients and families who notice fever, a rapid heart rate, worsening abdominal pain or trouble breathing in the days after a bariatric procedure should seek medical care right away.
Hymowitz is known for his work on medical malpractice and construction accident cases. He has been selected to Super Lawyers in 2009 and every year from 2013 through 2026, and he was named a 2026 Top Lawyer by Hudson Valley Magazine.
The firm represents people and families across New York in medical malpractice, serious personal injury and wrongful death cases from offices in New City, the Bronx and White Plains.
Fellows Hymowitz Rice is a personal injury law firm headquartered in New City, New York, with additional offices in the Bronx and White Plains. Founded in 1981, the firm represents people hurt by medical malpractice, truck and car crashes, construction accidents and nursing home neglect, as well as families who have lost a loved one to someone else's negligence. Its partners are Robert L. Fellows, Steven R. Hymowitz and Matthew F. Rice. The firm offers free consultations and Spanish-language services. Learn more at pilaw.com.
Fellows Hymowitz Rice
254 S. Main St., Suite 500, New City, NY 10956
845-639-9300
https://pilaw.com/
Press Contact : Matthew F. Rice
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