On June 24, 2025, Wilbert Vancol, Jennifer Phillips and Dhillon Ramkhelawan obtained a defense verdict for a Sumter County emergency medicine physician in a wrongful death and medical malpractice trial.

On June 24, 2025, Wilbert Vancol, Jennifer Phillips and Dhillon Ramkhelawan obtained a defense verdict for a Sumter County emergency medicine physician in a wrongful death and medical malpractice trial. The patient suffered an esophageal perforation during an ERCP procedure performed 10 hours prior to her presentation to the emergency department where she was seen by our client. The Plaintiff alleged our client should have ordered a chest x-ray and that his failure to do so resulted in a delay in transferring the patient to a tertiary care facility to repair the perforation, and ultimately the patient’s death. Liability was strongly contested as we presented evidence from experts in multiple specialties who testified that a chest x-ray was not indicated based on the patients presenting symptoms and that it would not have shown evidence of an esophageal perforation at the time she was under our client’s care in the emergency department. We also presented evidence, through the medical records and testimony of various witnesses, that the care provide by our client in the emergency department did not cause or contribute to the patients unfortunate passing after she was transferred. After a 7-day trial, the jury concluded there was no negligence on the part of our client and returned a defense verdict in his favor.

(photo credit: David Siegel, Courtroom View Network)