Rawls Law Group is pleased to announce that we have recovered a $525,000 settlement for our client, an Air Force veteran, who suffered significant complications following brain surgery at the San Diego VA Medical Center. 

The veteran, who had a history of a cyst in his brain that caused facial tics and arm weakness, underwent surgery to drain the cyst and placement of a shunt to alleviate pressure on his brain at the San Diego VA hospital in 2016.  After the surgery, the veteran began experiencing slurred speech, right-sided facial drooping, and double vision.

Following the involvement of Rawls Law Group and the review of the brain imaging by a Board-certified neurosurgeon we retained, we determined that the shunt placed during the surgery at the VA hospital was inserted much too far into the veteran’s skull, putting pressure on his brain stem and causing the post-surgery symptoms he experienced. 

Sadly, because the VA medical providers failed to timely identify on their own that they had overshot the cyst and inserted the shunt too far, this left the veteran with permanent facial drooping, sensory function loss, and double vision.

We pursued this veteran’s FTCA medical malpractice tort claim through the administrative claims process with the VA and were able to get the VA to agree to a sizeable settlement in near record time.