In 1992, Michael Schiavo filed a medical malpractice suit on behalf of his wife and himself. He alleged that Dr. G. Stephen Igel, an obstetrician whom the couple had been seeing in their efforts to conceive, missed symptoms of Terri's eating disorder, which led to her collapse, and subsequent condition. They won the case.
In 1992, Michael, on behalf of his wife and himself, brought a medical malpractice lawsuit against G. Stephen Igel, the obstetrician who had been treating Schiavo for infertility, claiming that his failure to test for an eating disorder had led to her current condition. During the trial, at least one of Schiavo's friends testified that they believed she was bulimic because after meals out, she always immediately excused herself to go to the bathroom. Michael also said that he had noticed some peculiar eating habits (such as drinking about a gallon of iced tea a day, eating a huge omelette or practically all of a pizza on Sundays) but had received no indication that she had any kind of psychological problem or eating disorder. At the conclusion of the trial, the jury found for the Schiavos and awarded Mrs. Schiavo $1,600,000 in damages and Michael $600,000 for loss of consortium. While on appeal, the case was settled (May 1992) for $700,000 and $300,000, respectively. The court placed Mrs. Schiavo's award in a trust fund, which was controlled by a third party and covered her medical and legal expenses.
During the malpractice trial, Michael testified that he began studying nursing at St. Petersburg College around 1991. When asked why, he explained:
Q: Why did you want to learn to be a nurse?
MS: Because I enjoy it and I want to learn more how to take care of Terri.
Q: You're a young man. Your life is ahead of you. When you look up the road, what do you see for yourself?
MS: I see myself hopefully finishing school and taking care of my wife.
Q: Where do you want to take care of your wife?
MS: I want to bring her home.
Q: If you had the resources available to you, if you had the equipment and the people, would you do that?
MS: Yes, I would, in a heartbeat.
Q: How do you feel about being married to Terri now.
MS: I feel wonderful. She's my life and I wouldn't trade her for the world. I believe in my marriage vows.
Q: You believe in your wedding vows, what do you mean by that?
MS: I believe in the vows I took with my wife, through sickness, in health, for richer or poor. I married my wife because I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I'm going to do that."
Eventually, he became a respiratory therapist and emergency room nurse.
Yeah...he's a real cold-blooded killer...
"Yeah...he's a real cold-blooded killer...
Yes, he is. When a man "remembers" that his wife would not want to live that way AFTER he received the malpractice $$, any thinking person should smell a rat.
Q: Why did you want to learn to be a nurse?
MS: Because I enjoy it and I want to learn more how to take care of Terri.
Terri didn't have an eating disorder.
Q: You're a young man. Your life is ahead of you. When you look up the road, what do you see for yourself?
MS: I see myself hopefully finishing school and taking care of my wife.
Don't let her hold that rag to prevent contractures. That's therapy.
Q: Where do you want to take care of your wife? MS: I want to bring her home.
I'm going to buy a yacht. I'm going to be rich.
Q: If you had the resources available to you, if you had the equipment and the people, would you do that?
MS: Yes, I would, in a heartbeat.
How the hell should I know we never spoke about this, my God I was only 25 years old. How the hell should I know? We were young. We never spoke of this.
Q: How do you feel about being married to Terri now.
MS: I feel wonderful. She's my life and I wouldn't trade her for the world. I believe in my marriage vows. Q: You believe in your wedding vows, what do you mean by that?
When is that bitch gonna die?
MS: I believe in the vows I took with my wife, through sickness, in health, for richer or poor. I married my wife because I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I'm going to do that."
I kept my promise.