Veronica Prego
Encyclopedia
Veronica Prego v. City of New York et al. was a $175 million negligence law suit filed in 1988 by a medical doctor, Verónica Prego, against the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, Dr. Joyce F. Fogel and Dr. Sheldon H. Landesman. Prego contracted HIV
in 1983 when she was working as an extern at Kings County Hospital Center. In her lawsuit she contended that she was infected with the virus by pricking her finger on an infected needle at the hospital. According to Prego the needle was improperly disposed of by Dr. Fogel after being used on an AIDS patient. The defense contended that Dr. Prego had drawn the infected blood herself and had caused the accident on her own.
In March 1990, just before summations to the jury would have been held, she suddenly dropped her lawsuit, settling out-of-court without a public acknowledgement of negligence from the defedants and for what was initially an undisclosed sum of money. The judge later disclosed that $1.35 million was awarded to Prego in the settlement.
announced that HIV was transmitted by blood and cautioned hospitals to implement precautionary measures to protect employees from exposure to blood. Prego's case focussed public attention to the issue, and continues to be mentioned in reference works that deal with hospital safety and AIDS in the workplace related issues.
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
in 1983 when she was working as an extern at Kings County Hospital Center. In her lawsuit she contended that she was infected with the virus by pricking her finger on an infected needle at the hospital. According to Prego the needle was improperly disposed of by Dr. Fogel after being used on an AIDS patient. The defense contended that Dr. Prego had drawn the infected blood herself and had caused the accident on her own.
In March 1990, just before summations to the jury would have been held, she suddenly dropped her lawsuit, settling out-of-court without a public acknowledgement of negligence from the defedants and for what was initially an undisclosed sum of money. The judge later disclosed that $1.35 million was awarded to Prego in the settlement.
Impact
The same year Prego contracted HIV, the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
announced that HIV was transmitted by blood and cautioned hospitals to implement precautionary measures to protect employees from exposure to blood. Prego's case focussed public attention to the issue, and continues to be mentioned in reference works that deal with hospital safety and AIDS in the workplace related issues.