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Quadriplegic Victim Gives Part Of Award

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By THOMAS W. KRAUSE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 26, 2007

Updated: 07/26/2007 12:12 am

TAMPA - A man left quadriplegic after doctors misdiagnosed his stroke as sinusitis donated $600,000 Wednesday to a Miami spinal cord research center.

Allan Navarro won a $217 million verdict against his doctors in October.

The two law firms that represented Navarro each donated an additional $200,000 to the center for a total donation of $1 million.

Navarro went to University Community Hospital in Carrollwood on Aug. 9, 2000, with nausea, a headache, dizziness, confusion and double vision. He was diagnosed with sinusitis and a headache and told to go home. Navarro returned the next day. A stroke left him in a coma for three months. Now, Navarro has no use of his arms or legs.

In October, a jury awarded Navarro $116.7 million in compensatory damages and $100.1 million in punitive damages.

On Wednesday, Navarro, The Yerrid Law Firm and the law firm de la Parte & Gilbert donated a total of $1 million to The Buoniconti Fund. Nick Buoniconti, a National Football League Hall-of-Fame lineman, helped found The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis after his son suffered a spinal cord injury in a college football game. The center is at the University of Miami.

After last year's trial, Navarro's attorney, Steve Yerrid, said any punitive damages collected would be donated to charity.

On Wednesday, he said Navarro settled with the doctors for one lump sum. The settlement was intended to get money to Navarro immediately rather than wait for appeals. The settlement amount is confidential, Yerrid said, but the family will be financially worry-free 'for generations to come.'

Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached at (813)259-7698 or tkrause@tampatrib.com.

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