Heart Burn

An Indian American man has been awarded $40 million, one of the largest personal injury verdicts in Washington state, after a malfunctioning machine burnt his heart, forcing him to receive a transplant.

Paramjit Singh, 54, who was injured after a monitor malfunctioned, sued Providence Everett Medical Center and the equipment manufacturer Edwards of Irvine, Calif., which in turn claimed the hospital had used a damaged cable.

However the jury held Edwards responsible for 99.99 per cent of the damages, while Providence will pay the nominal .01 percent. Edwards was also ordered to pay $310,000 to Providence for breach of contract and fraud.