A Harris County resident has filed a lawsuit alleging severe medical negligence against a local physician and two medical entities. Ronna Johnson initiated the complaint on July 30, 2024, in the District Court of Harris County, Texas, targeting Dr. Jerome O. Carter, his medical practice Jerome O. Carter M.D., PLLC, and Baytown Medical Center, L.P.
According to the court documents, Johnson claims that she experienced significant complications following a series of cervical epidural steroid injections administered by Dr. Carter at Baytown Medical Center. The initial evaluation took place on May 26, 2022, where Johnson reported severe neck pain rated at 8/10 in severity. Despite undergoing physical therapy with minimal improvement, she was diagnosed with cervical disc disorder with radiculopathy and scheduled for an injection at the C6-7 level on June 10, 2022.
Johnson returned for follow-up evaluations on June 28 and July 15 of the same year but reported no improvement after subsequent injections. She continued to experience bilateral upper extremity radicular pain extending to her fingertips. On September 2, 2022, during another injection procedure at Baytown Medical Center, Johnson began experiencing severe complications including numbness and paralysis in her left arm immediately following the procedure.
The plaintiff alleges that these adverse outcomes were due to multiple breaches in the standard of care by Dr. Carter and Baytown Medical Center. Specifically, Johnson accuses Dr. Carter of failing to adequately counsel her about sedation risks associated with epidural steroid injections and not using appropriate diagnostic techniques to verify needle placement. Furthermore, she asserts that Baytown Medical Center failed to ensure Dr. Carter's qualifications for performing such procedures and did not maintain adequate records of fluoroscopic images taken during the procedures.
Johnson's condition deteriorated rapidly post-procedure; she was transferred to Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital where further evaluations revealed extensive spinal cord injuries including hemorrhage and edema from C1-T1 levels as well as subarachnoid hemorrhage indicated by MRI scans.
As a result of these alleged negligent acts, Johnson has suffered permanent injuries leading to significant physical pain, mental anguish, physical impairment, and loss of earning capacity among other damages. The plaintiff is seeking monetary relief between $200,000 and $1 million for these injuries under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §74.001 et seq., along with prejudgment interest and post-judgment interest as allowed by law.
Representing Ronna Johnson are attorneys Steven R. Davis and John A. Davis Jr., from Davis & Davis law firm based in Houston. The case is presided over by Judge Monica Jackson under Case ID: 2024-48065.