http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/11197/David-Mazie-lawyer-interview.html
Roseland, NJ: You know how some people just seem smart-well that's how
attorney David Mazie seems. Smart! At age 46 Mazie has won millions and
millions of dollars on behalf of clients lucky enough to get his firm to
take on their case. His most recent win is an eye popping $2.1 million
settlement recovered for a 47-year old man rendered legally blind because
of
a Lasik eye surgery procedure. "The settlement is large because the
malpractice was clear," says Mazie, "and the damage was significant and it
significantly impacted Mr. Dell'Ermo's life."
Lasik surgery alters the shape of the cornea to eliminate the need to wear
gl*****. The surgery was pioneered in Bogota, Columbia in the 1950s and
over
the last two decades, the introduction of laser technology has made it a
commonplace and popular choice for tens of thousands of people.
James Dell'Ermo was an executive with a security services business. His
vision was good, but at age 47, he needed gl***** for distance. To correct
his vision he chose a well-known eye doctor in New Jersey. Dr. Joesph
Dello
Russo has been something of a celebrity on the east coast as attorney
David
Mazie describes him. Della Russo once performed Lasik surgery live on
"Good
Morning America" and spent thousands of dollars every year promoting his
eye
clinic.
The result of surgery was a long way from what Mazie's client had
expected.
"Mr. Dell'Ermo went from a situation where he kind of needed gl***** for
distance, to a situation where he is going to need corneal transplants and
he is legally blind," says Mazie.
Although thousands of Lasik eye surgeries are done in the US every year,
not
everyone is a suitable candidate for the procedure. "He was not an
appropriate candidate for the procedure, it is not for everyone," adds
Mazie.
"Dell'Ermo's vision is now worse than 20/400. Even with corrective lenses,
he has only 20/50 vision," says Mazie. "And because of the shape of eye,
the
contacts he wears pop out several times a day."
The firm used a world-renowned expert on preoperative testing procedures
who
gave testimony that, given Dell'Ermo's steep corneas, it made him
unsuitable
for Lasik surgery-something that a Lasik surgeon should have recognized.
Dr. Joesph Dello Russo makes no admission of guilt in the $2.1 million
settlement and it was done only for expediency's sake, according to his
counsel. However, it stands as the largest Lasik surgery settlement in the
history of New Jersey and perhaps in the US.
Mazie has settled several other Lasik surgery malpractice lawsuits against
Dr. Della Russo and has a couple still pending.
His firm, Mazie, Slater, Katz & Freeman has a reputation for taking on
cases
that are large and difficult. Sometimes Mazie and the other lawyers at the
firm take on cases that other lawyers turn down. "We like to take on
interesting, cutting edge cases that we consider challenging and out of
the
box," says Mazie.
In 2005, Mazie sued the alcohol concession stand at Giant Stadium on
behalf
of a 7-year-old girl paralyzed in an accident with a drunk driver who had
been drinking at a football game. The original verdict was an astounding
$135 million. The amount was latter reduced and a confidential settlement
was reached-but the original verdict stands as the largest ever award for
a
personal injury case in New Jersey and the largest ever alcohol liability
verdict in the US.
Other lawyers had turned the case away, but not Mazie. "If it is a case
where we think we can help someone who has been really wronged, and it
makes
sense for us, then we'll do it," says Mazie.
He makes it all sound so simple. It is simple for a smart lawyer like
Mazie.
====================
Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance (USAEyes) is a patient
harassment organization operated by Glenn Hagele out of his home in
Sacramento, CA. Among other things, Glenn Hagele has published the social
security numbers of LASIK patients. Glenn Hagele's only academic
qualification is a High School Diploma. For more information, visit the
following sites:
http://www.usaeyes.us
http://www.lasikpimp.com
http://www.lasikfraud.com
http://www.lasikdisaster.com
http://www.lifeafterlasik.com
http://www.lasik-flap.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=21
http://www.lasikscam.com/viewforum.php?f=21
http://www.jackholladay.com/avoid_this_doctor.html
|
