McKenna v. Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, Inc.

Opinion

BEACH, J.

Mrs. Evangeline McKenna underwent a therapeutic abortion and tubal ligation at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital on January 17, 1974. That afternoon, she had a seizure and was treated by a resident of the hospital. She stopped breathing and went into a coma from which she never recovered. She died over a week later. Her husband and children sued Dr. Margolin, her physician; Dr. Gilman, the anestheologist; Dr. Warner, the resident who responded to an alert from his beeper; and Cedars of Lebanon Hospital. The jury verdict was 10-2 in favor of the hospital and Dr. Warner and against…