A retired Michigan State Police trooper has been awarded a $15 million verdict in a malpractice lawsuit filed against a dentist, periodontist and oral surgeon.

Herta Hopton claimed that oral surgeon Warren Vallerand failed to diagnose cancer in her mouth despite repeated visits. Jurors awarded more than $15 million against Vallerand and the Center for Oral & Facial Surgery. The verdict is the largest dental malpractice award in United States history. 

Hopton received the award on paper only. A Michigan law passed in 1994 caps non-economic damages awarded in malpractice lawsuits at $420,000. Hopton was awarded slightly more than $400,000 in non-economic damages.

Filing a Philadelphia medical malpractice claim cannot undo the pain and suffering you and your family has experienced. However, legal action can help you battle the severe financial losses that victims of medical negligence commonly experience as well as prevent damage to future patients by raising awareness to flaws in a particular hospital's system.

If you or someone you love has been the victim of Philadelphia medical malpractice or negligence, please contact the experienced Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. to learn more about the legal options available to injured patients. Please call 215-238-1130.