The medical malpractice trial concerning Anne Ryan, a College sophomore who died of bacterial meningitis on Sept. 9, 2007, has been delayed by half a day.
The trial will begin at City Hall today, with opening arguments at 1 p.m.
The delay in the trial’s start time is due to the continuation of the jury-selection process and arguing of legal motions, both of which took place at City Hall yesterday.
Jury selection was scheduled for completion on Friday, but continued into yesterday.
Ryan’s older brother Jed filed a lawsuit against the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in January 2008 alleging that HUP departments and doctors acted negligently in performing a lumbar puncture on Ryan that caused her brain to herniate.
The procedure, which is meant to test spinal fluid for the presence of the meningococcal bacteria that cause meningitis, was the second lumbar puncture Ryan received at HUP within a three-day period.
The suit alleges that this additional treatment was unnecessarily risky.
The Ryan family seeks $600,000 in compensatory damages.
