$2.35 Million Jury Verdict for Doctor’s Failure to Timely Treat Septic Arthritis

John Antonucci was 52 years old at the time he underwent an MRI with contrast on his right hip. Two days later he was admitted to the hospital complaining of pain in the same hip. An orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Jason Fond, obtained a culture and later discharged Antonucci with a diagnosis of “inflammation.” One and a half days later, Antonucci was diagnosed as having septic arthritis.

As a result, Antonucci required a hip replacement and now suffers from chronic pain, which prevents him from doing many of the daily activities of living or returning to his job as a construction worker where he was earning $35,000 per year.

Antonucci and his wife filed suit against Dr. Fond and his practice, claiming that Dr. Fond chose not to timely treat the infection and that evidence of such infection was present on the culture results that the doctor ordered. The plaintiffs claimed that Antonucci required a timely surgical washout of the wound created by the contrast injection and that the delay in treatment allowed the infection to progress to dangerous levels.

After the jury deliberated, it entered its verdict of $2,350,000. The attorney representing the Antonucci family was Evan Goldberg.

For purposes of the trial, Mr. Goldberg engaged experts in infectious disease, orthopedic surgery and pain management.

Antonucci v. Advanced Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, No. 4050/11 (N.Y., Hudson Co. Sup. June 4, 2014).

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling medical malpractice lawsuits, orthopedic surgery errors, hospital errors and nursing home abuse cases for individuals and families who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of the carelessness or negligence of a medical provider for more than 38 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Chicago (Hegewisch, East Side, Garfield Park, Chatham, Austin, Jefferson Park, Rogers Park, Irving Park, Wicker Park, Logan Square), Inverness, Gurnee, Round Lake Beach, Grayslake, Hinsdale, Aurora, Romeoville, Joliet, Waukegan, Maywood, Bridgeview and Worth, Ill.