$25 Million Verdict Against Cardiologist Who Read Blocked Arteries as Normal

In January 2010, Christopher Denton was 37 years old when a sudden, crushing pain tore through his chest, spreading into his jaw and down his left arm. Paramedics rushed him to Riverside Walter Reed Hospital, where physicians treated him with heart medication and then transferred him to Riverside Regional Medical Center for a cardiac catheterization.

Dr. Edward Chu, the cardiologist who reviewed the catheterization results, concluded that Denton's coronary arteries were normal and clear of disease. He diagnosed a minor heart infection, told Denton it could be managed with over-the-counter medication, and sent him home. No stent. No referral for surgical repair. No follow-up plan for the possibility that his arteries were seriously blocked.

Within a few months, Denton had a severe heart attack. The attack left him functioning with roughly half his cardiac capacity. In the years that followed, he underwent additional heart catheterizations and open-heart bypass surgery. Doctors projected he would likely need a heart transplant within five years of the attack. After the heart attack, another cardiologist in Chu's own practice reviewed the January 2010 records and disagreed with Chu's original reading.

Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen attorneys Jason W. Konvicka and Malcolm P. McConnell III filed suit against Dr. Chu, the Cardiovascular Center of Hampton Roads, Inc., and Riverside Physician Services, Inc. The four-day trial began on February 11, 2013, in Judge Louis Lerner's courtroom. It came down to a battle of experts: plaintiff's experts contended the January tests showed severe blockage requiring a stent to open the arteries, while the defense contended the blockages were far less severe and did not call for drastic action. Konvicka argued that jurors could see the test results with their own eyes.

The Hampton jury sided with Denton. On February 14, 2013, jurors returned a verdict of $25 million, plus interest totaling $4,495,204.49. At the time, legal observers considered it the largest medical malpractice verdict in Virginia history and the largest personal injury verdict ever returned in Hampton.

Under Virginia law, medical malpractice damages were capped at $2 million in 2013. The verdict was subject to that statutory ceiling, reducing the actual recovery to a fraction of what the jury awarded. The cap applied regardless of the severity of the harm or the size of the jury's finding.