New City, New York – Fellows Hymowitz Rice has secured a $1.85 million medical malpractice and wrongful death settlement for the family of a 44-year-old physical therapist who died of a brain aneurysm after providers at four medical facilities allegedly failed to diagnose it. He left behind his wife and their 9-year-old child.

The man had no history of headache disorders or high blood pressure. Over about 30 days, he went to two urgent care centers and two hospitals with a severe headache and high blood pressure.

Each time, according to the lawsuit, providers treated him for migraines and sent him home. None ordered the brain imaging needed to check for bleeding, an aneurysm or other problems with the blood vessels in his brain. None asked about his family history, which would have shown that his father died young from a similar event.

Without proper testing or treatment, he suffered a large brain aneurysm that took his life.

Firm partner Steven R. Hymowitz handled the case. He brought claims against the providers for allegedly failing to recognize the warning signs, take a full medical history, order the right tests and catch a life-threatening condition in time.

The defense hired medical experts who argued that the doctors and hospitals met the standard of care and did nothing wrong. Hymowitz built the case through detailed medical review and work with experts, and the case settled for $1.85 million in November.

“A new, severe headache with high blood pressure in someone who has never had either is a warning sign. That’s when a doctor has to stop and ask what else could be going on,” Hymowitz said. “This man went for help four times. No amount of money replaces a husband and father, but his family deserved answers and accountability, and we fought to get them.”

Brain aneurysms can be hard to spot, but some signs call for urgent imaging. A sudden or unusually severe headache, especially in someone without a history of headaches, or a family history of aneurysm or stroke, are reasons to ask a doctor directly about a CT scan or other brain imaging.

Hymowitz is known for his work on medical malpractice and construction accident cases. He has been selected to Super Lawyers in 2009 and every year from 2013 through 2026, and he was named a 2026 Top Lawyer by Hudson Valley Magazine.

The firm represents people and families across the Hudson Valley and New York in medical malpractice, serious personal injury and wrongful death cases from offices in New City, the Bronx and White Plains.