In a Georgia malpractice case, a misplaced femoral line led to a partial leg amputation for a 50‑year‑old woman, and a jury ultimately assigned most responsibility to the hospital where the error occurred.
Timeline of events and alleged negligence
On February 23, 2012, Connie Lockhart arrived at Northside Hospital‑Cherokee after an attempted suicide involving blood‑pressure medication. She was conscious but severely hypotensive. After fluids were administered, emergency physician Glenn Bloom, M.D. attempted a central line in the jugular vein. When that failed, he inserted a catheter through the groin around 7 p.m.
Lockhart says the catheter entered the femoral artery instead of the vein, delivering epinephrine directly into an artery and causing a cardiac arrest at 7:15 p.m. A code blue was called, and she was later moved to the intensive‑care unit under pulmonologist Sachin Lavania, M.D.. The misplacement was not recognized at that time. Lockhart’s leg was later partially amputated below the knee.
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Legal arguments and expert testimony
Lockhart sued the hospital, Bloom, Lavania, and their associated practices, alleging medical malpractice, failure to test, delayed treatment, and failure to consult. The hospital settled before trial, yet remained on the verdict slip for apportionment. Bloom’s defense argued that his inability to establish a central line in the neck forced the groin approach, and that low blood pressure made distinguishing artery from vein difficult. An emergency‑medicine expert testified that Bloom did not breach the standard of care.
Lavania’s experts offered conflicting views. One critical‑care specialist said he should have identified the misplaced line when attempting a femoral monitoring line nearby, and that ordering a venous ultrasound instead of an arterial study delayed proper diagnosis. A vascular‑surgery expert argued that immediate vascular consultation could have saved the leg, while another contended the damage was irreversible by the time he was notified, making a consult ineffective.
Lockhart also faced a claim that her primary‑care physician, Christopher Parman, M.D., bore some liability for prescribing an antidepressant with a known suicide warning and for increasing the dose after she reported no benefit. The defense positioned Parman on the verdict slip for apportionment.
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The jury apportioned liability as follows: 60 % to Northside Hospital‑Cherokee, 27 % to Lavania, 10 % to Parman, and 3 % to Lockhart herself. Total damages were calculated at $4.7 million, resulting in a net award of $1.269 million against Lavania after liability adjustments.
Early detection of arterial placement is critical in vascular‑injury malpractice cases. Bedside ultrasound or pressure transduction can reveal misplacement promptly, potentially averting severe tissue loss. The delay in recognizing the arterial line here, despite clear signs such as bright‑red blood and loss of pulse, highlights the importance of rapid diagnostic escalation.
Aftermath and settlement
Lockhart remained hospitalized for a few days before moving to a rehabilitation facility, where she spent two weeks recovering.
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In April 2012 she received a prosthetic limb and continues to manage phantom pain with medication and physical therapy. Her life‑care plan projected $360,000 in past medical costs and roughly $1 million in future expenses, alongside damages for pain and suffering.
Lavania’s insurer subsequently provided a $1 million policy tender, leading to a post‑verdict settlement that satisfied the net award. The case demonstrates how liability can be distributed among multiple parties, even when a primary error—such as the misplacement of a femoral line—initiates the chain of events.
