Our Thoughts: Largest Georgia Emergency Room Malpractice Verdict on Missed Stroke

Read the full investigation from Atlanta News First →

Jonathan Buckelew was just 24 when he became disoriented during a chiropractic appointment. He was rushed to the ER: confused, slurring, and seizing, but no stroke alert was called. The ER doctor didn’t mention the chiropractic visit to the consulting neurologist. A second seizure-like episode was ignored. The radiologist missed key findings on his scan. Hours passed before anyone realized Jonathan was having a stroke.

By then, the damage was done.

Jonathan suffered a catastrophic brainstem stroke and now lives with locked-in syndrome, fully conscious but completely paralyzed. He communicates by blinking or typing with his nose. He’s now 34 and requires full-time care. His parents, Jack and Janice, restructured their entire home to support him, working alongside a team of nurses. Their garage now holds months of medical supplies. His favorite spot is in front of the fish tank; one of the few places that still brings him calm.

“There are some days where he’s like, ‘pull the plug.’ Those are the tough days,” his father said.

A Georgia jury found the ER doctor and radiologist grossly negligent and awarded the family $75 million — the largest emergency room malpractice verdict in Georgia history. The decision was upheld on appeal. One of the physicians is now seeking review by the Georgia Supreme Court.

Our Perspective

What happened to Jonathan is heartbreaking, but it wasn’t just a tragic outcome. It was a system failure. Protocols were ignored. Communication broke down. And a young man lost nearly everything because no one stopped to act.

We understand that mistakes can happen in medicine. But patients, and their loved ones, shouldn’t be the ones who carry the cost when those mistakes are preventable. Especially not when the standard of care is not met and the systems in place are supposed to protect the fail.

Holding hospitals accountable is never easy. They have deep pockets, powerful legal teams, and insurance companies working to limit exposure. Families, on the other hand, are often just trying to survive. Getting justice can feel out of reach.

According to Johns Hopkins:

• 12 million Americans are impacted by diagnostic errors every year
• 1 in 3 suffer harm as a result
• 30–50% of minor strokes are initially missed

These aren’t rare stories. They’re happening in ERs, hospitals, and clinics across the country — including here in Illinois.

At Raymond & Raymond, we represent families whose lives have been permanently changed by failures like these: delayed diagnoses, misread scans, and moments where critical decisions were never made. We’re here to help families understand what went wrong, and to push for the accountability they deserve.

📞 If something similar has happened to someone you love, reach out. We’ll listen. And we’ll help you figure out what comes next.