Lodmell & Lodmell
 
Ignorance is bliss ...
Widow Mary Smith and her two adult children were awarded $3.5 million by an Ohio jury in the their wrongful death lawsuit against Dr. John Bigelow. During the trial, they convinced a jury that Dr. Bigelow did not do enough to help the late Lawrence Smith avoid his fatal heart attack - despite the fact that Mr. Smith was 54, overweight, a long-time smoker who ate a poor diet, got little exercise, had diabetes and high cholesterol, and admitted to being stressed at work. Dr. Bigelow said he gave Smith repeated admonitions about his bad habits, but the jury disagreed. A surviving spouse may be unable to disclaim the interest of the decedent. (Names changed to protect the unprotected.)