Dr. Demetrios Sahlas

The plaintiff suffered a debilitating stroke and sued his family physician for medical malpractice, alleging negligence in the management of his Coumadin (blood thinner) therapy.

The court found that the physician breached the standard of care by failing to appropriately adjust the plaintiff's dosage and monitor his INR levels after subtherapeutic readings and a reported transient ischemic attack.

The court concluded that this breach caused the stroke and dismissed the defendant's claim of contributory negligence, finding the plaintiff acted reasonably.

The applicant was injured in a motor vehicle accident and sought statutory accident benefits, including attendant care, non-earner benefits, and visitor's expenses.

The insurer denied the claims, arguing the applicant's impairments were due to a pre-existing stroke and longstanding psychological issues.

The arbitrator found that the accident temporarily exacerbated the applicant's pre-existing physical and psychological conditions, entitling her to attendant care benefits for the first three months post-accident and for assistance with a pool therapy program.

The claims for non-earner benefits and visitor's expenses were dismissed.

Interest was awarded on the overdue attendant care benefits.

Each party was ordered to bear its own arbitration expenses.