A stethoscope/courtesy photoA jury decided that a cardiologist must pay more than $6 million to the family of a patient who died days after having been discharged from the doctor's care.

On March 16, 2016, plaintiff's decedent Laura Staib, 39, a homemaker, died. Staib's widower, Sergio Orosito, claimed that his wife's death was a result of improperly treated myocarditis. He claimed that the condition's symptoms were evident on Feb. 25, 2016, when Staib was admitted to Florida Hospital DeLand, in Deland. Staib's respiration was failing, and she was suffering sepsis. She was intubated.

On Feb. 28, 2016, Staib was evaluated by a cardiologist, Dr. Roy Venzon. During the ensuing 10 days, Venzon regularly monitored Staib's condition. Venzon believed that Staib was suffering congestive heart failure and sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy, but he prioritized treatment of pneumonia. He suspected that the pneumonia was contributing to the failure of Staib's heart.