A Mobile County jury returned a $50 million verdict on March 12, 2026, in a wrongful death and medical malpractice action brought by the family of Dan Haas against cardiologist Dr. John Galla [1]. The case centered on Haas's presentation to the hospital with chest pain, a subsequent heart catheterization performed by Galla, and the decision to discharge Haas despite what plaintiffs alleged was an inadequately treated, life-threatening cardiac blockage [1]. Haas died the night of his discharge. The trial ran 13 days before Mobile County Circuit Court Judge Ben Brooks [1].
At trial, the Haas family, represented by Lucy Tufts of Cunningham Bounds, argued that Galla failed to adequately address the blockage before sending his patient home, and that this failure was the direct cause of Haas's death [1]. The jury resolved both the wrongful death and malpractice claims in the plaintiffs' favor, returning a single $50 million compensatory award [1]. No punitive component was reported.
Post-verdict proceedings have not been publicly disclosed. Defense counsel information was not reported, and no immediate statements from Galla or his representatives appear in available sources [1]. Under Alabama law, wrongful death verdicts are subject to remittitur review, and defendants in civil cases of this magnitude routinely file post-trial motions and, if unsuccessful, appeals to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. Whether Galla intends to pursue either avenue has not been confirmed.