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A Connecticut anesthesiology group must pay $15.4 million to the estate of a 57-year-old woman who suffered a cardiorespiratory collapse and severe brain damage during a routine outpatient gastroenterology procedure, a state superior court jury has decided.

Maria Ocasio anesthesia death trial : Jury's Verdict

The verdict, in favor of the estate of Maria I. Ocasio, applies to both Dr. Guy J. Aliotta, Ocasio's anesthesiologist, and the Meriden-Wallingford Anesthesia Group PC. The jury awarded $1 million for the loss of enjoyment of life's activities, $5 million for pre-death pain and suffering, and $9.4 million for Ocasio's death.

"Maria Ocasio should have walked out of that outpatient procedure and enjoyed many more decades with her loving family," said Kathleen Nastri, a Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder partner who represented the estate. "Instead, she spent her final days hooked up to machines."

Maria Ocasio anesthesia death trial : Case Details

During opening statements, the estate alleged that Dr. Aliotta and a nurse anesthetist failed to properly monitor and respond to Ocasio's vital signs, including a dangerous drop in blood oxygen content and a heart rate that plunged to 27 beats per minute. This occurred after administering propofol to render Ocasio unconscious during an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedure.

Aliotta did not call a code or begin chest compressions until it was too late, according to the estate's claims. Nastri suggested that various medical reports about Ocasio's sudden turn for the worse in April 2017 did not align, possibly due to a cover-up.

Settlement Talks and Appeals

The Ocasio estate initially sought $1 million from Aliotta and another $1 million from Meriden-Wallingford Anesthesia Group in January 2020, but those offers were rejected. The final verdict, entered on July 3, significantly exceeded the settlement proposal.

Judge Elizabeth J. Stewart rejected an attempt by Meriden-Wallingford Anesthesia to apportion damages to Dr. Housein M. Wazaz and Midstate Gastroenterology Specialists PC, noting that settlement talks were not official. The anesthesia group has indicated a desire to appeal the decision, but no appeal has been filed.

Family's Reaction

"Our mother had to fight all of her life, and she would have wanted us to keep fighting," said Ocasio's sons, Alex, Luis, and Brian. "We are grateful to the jury for honoring her memory with this verdict."

Maria Ocasio anesthesia death trial : Defense's Argument

Defense attorney James B. Rosenblum argued that Dr. Aliotta and the Meriden-Wallingford Anesthesia Group provided proper and reasonable care despite the "horrible outcome" for Ocasio. He emphasized that ERCPs are highly stimulative procedures requiring minute-by-minute adjustments to anesthesia doses.