A Pima County jury returned a $1 million verdict Friday against a Tucson cardiologist, Pima Heart Physicians and Tucson Heart Hospital for their role in the November 2005 death of a sheriff's sergeant.
The jury apportioned 60 percent of the blame in Louis Salica's death to the Tucson Heart Hospital and 40 percent to Dr. James H. Myer and Pima Heart Physicians, said Tucson attorney Barry Davis.
On Sept. 26, 2005, Salica, 50, went to the Tucson Heart Hospital around 4 a.m. complaining of severe chest pains and advised the staff that Myer was his cardiologist, Davis said.
Davis underwent a heart test around 7:30 a.m., but Myer didn't arrive to read the test until 9 p.m., Davis said.
An expert witness testified during a three-week trial that Myer should have seen Salica by noon that day, read the test at that time and consulted with a surgeon, Davis said.
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Instead, Myer simply ordered additional tests for the following morning, Davis said.
Because Myer didn't read the test, didn't react aggressively to Salica's condition and didn't consult with a surgeon, Salica went into cardiogenic shock, which affects the heart's ability to circulate blood and deprives organs of oxygen, Davis said.
Salica was transferred to Northwest Medical Center and died Nov. 4, 2005, of multi-system organ failure, Davis said.
The Tucson Heart Hospital was named as a defendant in the lawsuit because the staff there failed to call Myer after he left that night despite the fact that Salica's condition was worsening, Davis said.
The jury deliberated four hours, Davis said.
James Campbell, who represented Myer and Pima Heart Physicians along with attorney Barry McMann, declined to comment Friday evening.
Marshall Humphrey, who represented Tucson Heart Hospital along with attorney John Scully of Dallas, did not return a phone call seeking comment.
The lawsuit was filed by Davis in May 2007 on behalf of Salica's mother, Grace; his wife, Carol; and his daughter, Christa, who is a Pima County Sheriff's Department corrections officer.
Grace Salica has since passed away, Davis said.
According to Salica's obituary, he was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of Louis Salica, a world-champion boxer between 1939 and 1941. He moved to Arizona in 1987 and became a member of the Eloy Police Department in 1988. After 2 1/2 years, he joined the Pima County Sheriff's Department. While with the PCSD, he served with the D.U.I. Task Force, Special Operations with the Selective Enforcement Team and S.W.A.T. He received numerous letters of commendation and internal commendations.
