Obese patient's heart conditions not diagnosed by primary care physician.
The Case
- Case Name: The Estate of Jose Raul Paredes v. Ricardo McKenzie, M.D.
- Court and Case Number: Los Angeles Superior Court / 20STCV31010
- Date of Verdict or Judgment: Monday, May 11, 2026
- Date Action was Filed: Friday, August 14, 2020
- Type of Case: Medical Malpractice, Wrongful Death
- Judge or Arbitrator(s): Hon. Michael B. Wilson
- Plaintiffs:
Minor plaintiff
- Defendants:
Ricardo McKenzie, M.D.
- Type of Result: Jury Verdict
The Result
- Gross Verdict or Award: $2,363,766
- Jury Polls: 9-3
The Attorneys
- Attorney for the Plaintiff:
Sandoval Law APC by Abraham Sandoval and Henry Harmeling, Santa Monica.
- Attorney for the Defendant:
Reback, McAndrews, & Blessey, LLP by Raymond Blessey, Manhattan Beach.
The Experts
- Plaintiff’s Medical Expert(s):
Sendhil Krishnan M.D., cardiology.
Gerard Petersen M.D., pulmonology.
Arthur Sitelman M.D., pathology.
- Defendant's Medical Expert(s):
Michael Fishbein M.D., pathology.
Andrew Wachtel M.D., internal medicine.
Harvey Brown M.D., cardiology.
- Defendant's Technical Expert(s):
David Weiner, economics.
Facts and Background
- Facts and Background:
Plaintiffs filed a wrongful death action against primary care physician Ricardo McKenzie, M.D. for failure to diagnose and treat 32-year-old Jose Raul Paredes, who was suffering from undiagnosed right ventricular hypertrophy and severe hypoxemia. Mr. Paredes had been to see defendant doctor on two separate occasions. Mr. Paredes later died in his sleep.
- Plaintiff's Contentions:
Defendant Ricardo Mckenzie, M.D. failed to diagnose Mr. Paredes' heart disease and failed to treat both his heart disease and pulmonary disease, resulting in the foreseeable death of Mr. Paredes.
- Defendant's Contentions:
Defense contended Mr. Paredes was severely obese and died from sudden cardiac death.
Demands and Offers
- Plaintiff §998 Demand: $1,000,000