Attorney Judith Livingston has secured a $14 million settlement for a client who was just 12 years old when a piece of equipment fell on her open spinal cord during surgery, paralyzing the child from the chest down.

Livingston, a senior partner at Kramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore, credited tenacious discovery with uncovering the facts that led to the settlement with New York Presbyterian Hospital less than 24 hours before opening statements were scheduled.