Medical Malpractice Case Settled by L.A. County For $4M

Los Angeles County has agreed to pay $4.5 million to a man left paralyzed after treatment at County/USC Medical Center.

The Los Angeles Times reported the Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday in favor of the settlement with Justin Malone.

In addition to the payment, the settlement calls for the county to waive Malone’s estimated $790,000 in treatment costs.

Malone was left paralyzed in 2011 after undergoing surgery at County/USC to repair a stent-graft installed at another hospital following a motorcycle crash a year earlier.

The newspaper says the county has since implemented a “corrective action plan.” It includes improved transition of care between emergency and in-hospital services and better communication among service providers.