Jury Awards $400K to Estate of Man Resuscitated against His Will

I have observed that there is a trend toward imposing legal penalties on clinicians who administer unwanted medical treatment, especially at the end of life. Continuing that trend, is a jury verdict, this week, in Montana.

The jury found St. Peter's Hospital and a physician negligent for violating a "do not resuscitate or intubate" order for Rodney Knoepfle. Rodney was resuscitated after coding two separate times. The jury awarded $209,100.29 in damages for medical care and another $200,000 for mental and physical pain and suffering. (HT: Helena Independent Record)

In 2016, Rodney went to St. Peter's Hospital for medical treatment and told medical professionals that he did not want to be resuscitated. A band indicating that he did not want to be resuscitated or intubated was placed on his wrist.  Knoepfle was found unresponsive in his room. But staff performed CPR and resuscitated him against his wishes.