On Feb. 6, 2011, at approximately 10 p.m., plaintiff’s decedent Maria Rodriguez, 21, a part-time elder care aide and student, presented to the Emergency Room at White Memorial Medical Center, in Los Angeles, with high blood pressure and complaints of weakness over a three-day period, frequent urination, and thirst. At approximately 11:15 p.m., Rodriguez, who suffered from diabetes mellitus, was seen by Dr. Helen Ho and administered fluids while labs were ordered. Rodriguez was ultimately admitted to the hospital’s Medical-Surgical Unit by Ho and Dr. Jenny Ming Chen Hwang, a staff internist, at approximately 1 a.m. Rodriguez was administered her first shot of insulin approximately an hour and a half later and was then administered her second insulin shot at approximately 6:04 a.m. Shortly after the second shot, Rodriguez went into cardiac arrhythmia, and attempts were made to revive her. She ultimately went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at 7:30 a.m. The decedent’s husband, Jose Ruiz, sued Ho; Ming; White Memorial Medical Center; another doctor, Dr. Jenny Wong; and four members of the hospital’s nursing staff. Ruiz alleged that the defendants failed to properly diagnose and treat the decedent’s condition and that these failures constituted medical malpractice. He also alleged that the defendants’ negligence caused the decedent’s wrongful death. Hwang confidentially settled with Ruiz prior to trial, while Wong, the four nurses and the medical center were voluntarily dismissed from the case. Thus, the matter proceeded to trial against Ho only. Plaintiff’s counsel contended that the decedent presented to the medical center with signs and symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis. However, counsel argued that Ho failed to diagnose the decedent with diabetic ketoacidosis while she was under her care and that if the condition was properly diagnosed, it would have resulted in a different course of treatment. Plaintiff’s counsel further argued that since the decedent’s condition was not properly diagnosed her potassium levels were not properly monitored, causing the decedent to become hypokalemic, which in turn led to the cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, and death. Ho’s counsel argued that the patient was appropriately diagnosed and treated for an onset of diabetes mellitus with hyperglycemia and that Ho did not deviate from the standard of care. Counsel contended that the decedent’s symptoms were not indicative of diabetic ketoacidosis, noting that the patient did not have a fever, her sugar level improved, and her heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure were stable. Counsel also contended that the patient was alert, orientated and responding well to treatment and that the patient’s lab results showed only mild acidosis and borderline low potassium. Thus, Ho’s counsel argued that the decedent did not die due to diabetic ketoacidosis and that the exact cause of the cardiac arrest is unknown., Maria Rodriguez suffered a cardiac arrhythmia, and attempts were made to revive her. However, she ultimately went into cardiac arrest and died at 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 7, 2011. She was 21 and is survived by her husband, Jose Ruiz. Ruiz sought recovery of between $900,000 and $1.4 million in economic damages for the loss of his wife’s economic support and household services. He also sought recovery of non-economic damages for his wife’s wrongful death. Ho’s counsel disputed the amount of damages sought by Ruiz. The defense’s expert economist opined that Ruiz’s economic damages only ranged from $400,000 to $800,000.