Attorney Thomas J. Mortati Wins Record Verdict in St. Lawrence County Supreme Court
Martin, Harding & Mazzotti, LLP Senior Litigation Attorney, Thomas J. Mortati, Esq., won what is reported to be a record verdict in St. Lawrence County Supreme Court on Wednesday, August 21, 2019 in a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal) case, winning a total verdict of $7.436 million after an eight day jury trial in Canton, NY before the Hon. Mary M. Farley. This is believed to be the largest plaintiff verdict in St. Lawrence County history and one of the largest verdicts nationwide, if not the largest, in a laparoscopic cholecystectomy case.
The surgery in question took place at Canton-Potsdam Hospital on November 23, 2015 by Dr. Christopher Touloukian and the now 38 year old plaintiff suffered severe and life altering injuries to his bile duct system due to what the jury found was negligence on the part of the surgeon in placing a surgical clip in an admittedly wrong location. This negligent clip placement resulted in severe damage to the common hepatic duct resulting in the need for a permanent drain protruding from the plaintiff’s chest and the need for daily dressing changes and saline flushes and multiple annual surgical procedures for the rest of his life, among other injuries and damages.