$412 Million Jury Awarded to New Mexico Man in Landmark Malpractice Case

A New Mexico man has been awarded a record-breaking $412 million in a landmark medical malpractice case against NuMale Medical Center, a national men’s health clinic. The verdict, delivered on November 25, 2024, includes both punitive and compensatory damages, making it the largest jury award in U.S. medical malpractice history.

The case stems from a misdiagnosis by the clinic in 2017. The 66-year-old plaintiff sought treatment for fatigue and weight loss, but instead was subjected to unnecessary and invasive erectile dysfunction injections, resulting in permanent physical damage. Attorneys for the plaintiff argued that the clinic engaged in fraudulent practices, misleading patients with false claims of irreversible harm to pressure them into treatments they didn’t need.

“This is a national record-setting case and it is just,” said Lori Bencoe, one of the plaintiff’s attorneys. “Healthcare professionals have a fiduciary duty to their patients, and violating that trust for profit is inexcusable.”

Court documents reveal that the jury found NuMale’s actions to be in violation of the New Mexico Unfair Practices Act, citing both fraudulent and negligent conduct. The lawsuit, filed in 2020, highlighted deceptive tactics used by the clinic to prioritize profit over patient well-being.

Attorney Nick Rowley, also representing the plaintiff, described the clinic’s actions as a “scam,” specifically targeting elderly men. He revealed that employees of NuMale pressured patients into undergoing injections up to three times a week, warning of severe health consequences if they refused.

NuMale Medical Center, headquartered in Wisconsin, operates clinics across eight states, including Colorado, Florida, and North Carolina. The company’s president, Brad Palubicki, stated that patient safety is a priority, but declined further comment due to ongoing legal proceedings.

This case may set a significant precedent in holding medical companies accountable for unethical practices and sheds light on the exploitation of vulnerable patients in such schemes.

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