Intoxicado Error Brings 71-Million-Dollar Settlement

In 1980, an 18-year-old Cuban American man named Willie Ramirez arrived comatose at a South Florida hospital, where his Spanish-speaking relatives described him as "intoxicado." They meant that something he had eaten or drunk had made him ill, but a bilingual staff member interpreted the word as "intoxicated," leading doctors to suspect an intentional drug overdose. Ramirez actually had an intracerebral hemorrhage, which continued bleeding for more than two days while doctors treated him for the wrong condition and delayed neurological care. The resulting brain damage left him quadriplegic, and his medical malpractice lawsuit produced a settlement valued at more than $71 million.

Previous Fact Next Fact