$1.7 Million Jury Verdict for Patient Injury Caused by Mishandled Catheterization

Ronald Fairrow, 56, underwent an appendectomy at Riverside Methodist Hospital. The surgical resident, Dr. Alon Geva, and nurse Megan Conrad attempted to insert a urinary catheter but encountered resistance.

Dr. Geva and Conrad made several more attempts until another doctor came and properly inserted the catheter.

Several days after the appendectomy surgery, Fairrow suffered severe bleeding in his urethra and later underwent surgery to stop the blood flow. Fairrow was unable to urinate due to the urethral damage and required Foley and supra pubic catheters for several months until he underwent urethral reconstruction surgery.

Fairrow and his wife sued the hospital, its parent company, Dr. Geva and Conrad alleging that the resident and nurse (hospital employees) mishandled the catheterization.

The Fairrow family asserted that the two had created false passages with the multiple catheterization attempts, which led to the excessive bleeding.

The Fairrows also claimed that Dr. Geva and Conrad had applied excessive force when attempting the catheterizations.

The plaintiffs did not claim lost income.

The jury signed a verdict in favor of the Fairrows for more than $1.7 million, which was reduced to approximately $1 million under the Ohio medical malpractice statute.

At trial, the attorneys for the Fairrows presented experts in nursing and urology. The defendants also presented an expert in urology.

The attorneys successfully representing the Fairrows in this lawsuit were Kathy A. Dougherty and Sarah Lodge.

Fairrow v. OhioHealth Corp., No. 17 CV 001898 (Ohio Ct. Com. Pl. Franklin County).

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling physician negligence lawsuits, nursing negligence cases, hospital negligence lawsuits and medical negligence cases for individuals, families and loved ones who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of the carelessness or negligence of a medical provider for more than 40 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Waukegan, Inverness, Hinsdale, Aurora, Joliet, Bensenville, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Long Grove, Lincolnshire, Lincolnwood, Round Lake, Worth, Blue Island, Naperville, Mundelein, Highland Park, Highwood, Chicago (East Garfield Park, North Lawndale, Washington Park, Rogers Park, Bronzeville, Chinatown), North Riverside, Winnetka, Fox River Grove and Wilmette, Ill.

Robert D. Kreisman has been an active member of the Illinois and Missouri bars since 1976.