$4M Awarded to Hatboro Man in Malpractice Case

A jury awarded a Hatboro man $4 million for nerve damage he suffered during a procedure in his family physician’s office, according to PhillyBurbs.

Jeffrey Hierholzer, 29, went to Dr. Harris Cohen, a member of the Hatboro Medical Associates practice, in 2009 for a lump, according to the website.

An orthopedic surgeon and later a neurosurgeon determined that when the cyst was removed a major motor nerve was severed, PhillyBurbs cites court documents as saying. The defence maintained the case was an anomaly, while prosecution witnesses that the cut was too deep.

“We are not saying that Dr. Cohen is a bad doctor,” Hierholzer’s lawyer told Philly Burbs. “All we are saying is that, in this particular case, an error was made and that the care was below commonly accepted standards.”

Hierholzer, who is a certified steamfitter, master electrician and license plumber, according to court documents, has been unable to fully do his job because of limitations from the nerve damage.