A jury in Cheyenne handed down the largest medical malpractice verdict in Wyoming history. The case centered on Louis Prager, who was rushed to the emergency room after an auto accident in 2008. The doctor, Brian Cullison, failed to diagnose his broken neck. As a result, Prager’s left shoulder remains paralyzed; he’s unable to work; and he’s in constant pain.
The jury found Dr. Cullison guilty of negligence and awarded $9 million dollars to Prager and his wife. That’s significantly more than any jury in Wyoming has awarded for medical malpractice in the past. But plaintiff attorney Tom Metier said that he isn’t surprised.
“I just don’t know in Wyoming in the past that we’ve had injuries of this severity and these circumstances, which is really why this ended up being a record verdict.”
Metier says he thinks the verdict will prompt hospitals and physicians to review their practices, to prevent future situations like Prager’s.