Dr. Theodore H. Schwartz, a neurosurgeon who spent about 25 years at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital before joining Mount Sinai in 2025, has been named as a defendant in at least two medical malpractice lawsuits in New York. One arose from the 2015 treatment of a South African patient for a brain abscess, and a second, filed in January 2025, is still pending. The Dr. Theodore Schwartz lawsuit history below is drawn from publicly available court records.1TheodoreHSchwartzMD.com. About Dr. Schwartz2Mount Sinai Health System. Mount Sinai Neurosurgery Report
Who Dr. Schwartz Is
Schwartz received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1993 and is board-certified in neurological surgery.3Doximity. Theodore Schwartz, MD At Weill Cornell he held the David and Ursel Barnes Professorship in Minimally Invasive Surgery and directed anterior skull base and pituitary surgery, surgical neuro-oncology, and epilepsy surgery.1TheodoreHSchwartzMD.com. About Dr. Schwartz He is now a Professor of Neurosurgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.2Mount Sinai Health System. Mount Sinai Neurosurgery Report
The 2025 Kearney Case
On January 22, 2025, Laura Kearney, acting as attorney-in-fact for Kayla Kearney, filed a medical malpractice suit against Schwartz in New York Supreme Court, New York County. The case was assigned to Judge John J. Kelley under index number 805012/2025.4Trellis Law. Kearney v. Schwartz — Summons and Complaint
Three other defendants are named: Dr. Ashutosh Kacker, an otolaryngologist; Dr. Jared Knopman, Director of Cerebrovascular Surgery and Interventional Neuroradiology at Weill Cornell Medicine; and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.5UniCourt. Laura Kearney v. Theodore H. Schwartz et al6Weill Cornell Medicine. Jared Knopman, MD The filing is categorized as a medical malpractice personal injury case. Publicly available court records do not detail the specific procedures or injuries at issue.
The case is active. NewYork-Presbyterian filed a verified answer through defense counsel in March and April 2025, both sides exchanged discovery demands, and a preliminary conference order was filed in July 2025. The most recent docket entry is a compliance conference order dated February 19, 2026.5UniCourt. Laura Kearney v. Theodore H. Schwartz et al
The 2017 Goldstein Case
The earlier suit arose from the care of Robyn Goldstein, a 37-year-old South African woman admitted to Weill Cornell Medical Center in late February 2015 after suffering a seizure while visiting New York City. She was initially diagnosed with cortical vein thrombosis. Over the following week her condition worsened; imaging revealed a mass and significant brain swelling, and by March 7, 2015, she experienced brain herniation. Surgeons performed emergency operations to remove part of her skull and drain a brain abscess.7CaseMine. Goldstein v. N.Y. and Presbyterian Hosp.
Goldstein was transferred to a rehabilitation unit at Mount Sinai Hospital in mid-April 2015 and then to a neuro-rehabilitation facility in Johannesburg in May 2015. The lawsuit alleged she suffered severe and lasting injuries, including brain swelling, multiple strokes, impaired cognition and memory, partial paralysis, loss of peripheral vision, and an inability to perform basic daily activities such as feeding, dressing, and bathing.8vLex. Goldstein v. N.Y. and Presbyterian Hosp.
On August 24, 2017, her father Saul Goldstein filed suit on her behalf in New York Supreme Court, New York County. The complaint named Schwartz, Dr. Justin Schwarz, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, alleging they departed from the standard of care by failing to timely and properly diagnose and treat the brain abscess.8vLex. Goldstein v. N.Y. and Presbyterian Hosp. The available court records do not include a final judgment on the merits of the malpractice claims.7CaseMine. Goldstein v. N.Y. and Presbyterian Hosp.
Where Things Stand
The Kearney case remains open and in a discovery posture as of the February 2026 compliance conference order.5UniCourt. Laura Kearney v. Theodore H. Schwartz et al For the Goldstein matter, the public record shows the case survived early motions but does not disclose how it was ultimately resolved. Being named as a defendant is not a finding of liability, and the pleadings summarized here reflect allegations rather than adjudicated facts.