Date: 02-16-1999

Case Style: Alissa Nash, et al. v. Jesus F. Yap, Jr., et al.

Case Number: 15742

Judge: Thim

Court: Superior Court, Judicial District of Fairfield, Connecticut

Plaintiff's Attorney: Ernest F. Teitell and Mario DiNatale and Jonathan M. Levine, Stamford, Connecticut

Defendant's Attorney: John R. Downey, Harford, Connecticut, for named defendant and Donna R. Zito for Karl E. Alcan

Description: Steven A. Ayres, guardian for Alissa Nash, minor, brought a medical malpractice action against defendant Jesus Yap, M.D. and Karl Alcan, M.D., cardiologists, and St. Joseph Medical Center. The medical center settled with plaintiff prior to trial. Plaintiff claimed the defendants' negligence caused the minor to suffer irreversible pulmonary disease. Plaintiff states the named cardiologists failed to communicate their findings to the child's primary physician. In 1986 and 1987 the child's primary physician arranged for Yap to perform an echocardiogram and Alcan was to review and interpret the echocardiogram. The echocardiogram indicated anatomical abnormalities of Nash's heart. The child's condition was not diagnosed until 1988 and because of the child's age, 3, her heart defect was inoperable and her pulmonary vascular disease was irreversible.

Outcome: Jury found in favor of plaintiff and awarded 2,315,000 in damages and allocated responsibility among Yap, Alcan and the medical center. Both the plaintiff and the defendants appealed the decision.

Plaintiff's Experts: Unknown

Defendant's Experts: Unknown

Comments: The decision was reversed in part and remanded by the Supreme Court of Connecticut. See: 726 A.2d 92 (Conn. 1999). The date shown above is the date of the appellate court decision and not the trial court. Reported by SF. Processed by AKM.