A Maricopa County jury sided with a gastroenterologist accused of failing to diagnose a fatal bowel obstruction, declining a $26.6 million damages claim brought by the family of Johnny Ballard, who died in 2019. The case centered on a critical clinical decision: whether a CT scan with contrast dye should have been ordered when Ballard presented with severe abdominal pain, rather than the non-contrast scan that was performed.
The defense prevailed by establishing that Ballard’s condition — a volvulus, a rare post-gastric-bypass complication — is exceptionally difficult to detect without the clarity of hindsight. Dr. Chadha’s team argued that the clinical choices made, including opiate-based pain management, were consistent with reasonable judgment given the information available at the time of care.
For GI and surgical leaders, the case is a pointed reminder of how rare post-bariatric complications can confound even sound clinical reasoning — and how the standard of care, when well-documented and credibly defended, can hold up under legal scrutiny.
When the diagnosis is rare and the outcome is tragic, the line between error and unavoidable complexity is often decided in a courtroom.