ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Jurors in New Mexico have awarded a man more than $412 million in a medical malpractice case that involved a men’s health clinic that operates in several states.
The man’s attorneys celebrated Monday’s verdict, saying they are hopeful it will prevent other men from falling victim to a scheme that involved fraud and what they described as dangerous penile injections. They said the jury award for punitive and compensatory damages is likely the largest in history for a medical malpractice case.
The award follows a trial held in Albuquerque earlier this month that centered on allegations outlined in a lawsuit filed by the man's attorneys in 2020. NuMale Medical Center and company officials were named as defendants.
According to the complaint, the man was 66 when he visited the clinic in 2017 in search of treatment for fatigue and weight loss. The clinic is accused of misdiagnosing him and unnecessarily treating him with “invasive erectile dysfunction shots” that caused irreversible damage.
“This out of state medical corporation set up a fraudulent scheme to make millions off of conning old men by scaring them with a fake test,” Nick Rowley, the man's attorney, wrote in a social media post that detailed the verdict.
Rowley went on to say that the scheme involved clinic workers telling patients they would have irreversible damage if they didn't agree to injections three times a week.
NuMale Medical Center President Brad Palubicki said in a statement issued Tuesday that the company is committed to high-quality and safe patient care. He said NuMale disagrees with the verdict and intend to pursue all available legal remedies, including an appeal.
A message seeking additional comment was left Wednesday with the company and its attorney.
NuMale also has clinics in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, Nebraska, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
According to court records, jurors found that fraudulent and negligent conduct by the defendants resulted in damages to the plaintiff. They also found that unconscionable conduct by the defendants violated the Unfair Practices Act.
The Associated Press
