A King County jury has awarded $24 million to the family of Michael Trujillo, a Colorado man who died in 2019 after undergoing a spinal stem‑cell injection at the Seattle Stem Cell Center. According to court records presented during the trial, Trujillo was taking blood‑thinning medication at the time of the procedure, which jurors were told was performed without imaging guidance. The jury concluded that the resulting internal bleeding and subsequent brain herniation led to his death.

Trujillo, a 62‑year‑old journeyman electrician diagnosed with ALS in 2017, had traveled to Washington after seeing online marketing that promoted stem‑cell injections as a treatment option for serious conditions, including ALS. According to reporting by MyNorthwest, his widow, Carmen Trujillo, testified during the proceedings, describing the couple’s trip to Seattle as an attempt to seek hope in the face of a deteriorating condition.

In statements to KIRO Newsradio, clinic owner Dr. Tami Meraglia said she intends to appeal the decision. She argued that constraints placed on the presentation of evidence during the trial warrant appellate review. The Seattle Stem Cell Center, which closed in 2021, was the facility where the 2019 injection occurred.

The jury’s decision follows earlier legal action involving the clinic’s owner. In 2022, the Washington Attorney General secured an $800,000 judgment against US Stemology and Meraglia after filing a Consumer Protection Act lawsuit alleging deceptive marketing of unproven stem‑cell treatments. That judgment is documented in an official press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office and included permanent restrictions on future advertising practices. Plaintiffs’ counsel in the Trujillo case described the recent verdict as a measure of accountability for marketing health treatments without established scientific backing.

Meraglia, while disputing the outcome of the trial, acknowledged the loss of life in public statements given after the verdict.

Though the Trujillo case unfolded in King County, consumer‑health advocates note that its implications are statewide. Residents in Southwest Washington, including patients in Cowlitz County, routinely consider out‑of‑area specialty clinics when navigating complex medical diagnoses. Regulatory decisions and jury findings in larger counties often shape statewide enforcement priorities, including oversight of clinics that market unproven therapies.

Washington’s Attorney General has issued multiple consumer alerts in recent years warning patients to assess claims about stem‑cell treatments carefully and to rely on therapies supported by recognized clinical evidence. Those warnings remain relevant as demand for experimental or alternative medical interventions increases across the state.

Why this matters

The jury’s ruling highlights the challenges patients face when distinguishing between emerging medical research and commercial marketing. For communities in the Longview–Kelso area—where many residents must travel to Portland, Vancouver, or Seattle for specialized care—the case underscores the importance of verifying that clinics follow established medical standards and that advertised treatments are supported by evidence.

It also raises broader policy questions about oversight of medical providers offering experimental therapies and the degree to which vulnerable patients may be influenced by online marketing. State‑level enforcement actions, such as the 2022 judgment, signal that Washington regulators are increasingly attentive to these issues.

As of publication, the verdict stands while Dr. Meraglia pursues an appeal through the state appellate courts. No hearing schedule has been publicly announced.

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