$500,000 Jury Verdict in Failure to Convert Patient to General Anesthesia

Darren Vines, 48, was a corrections officer when he suffered a concussion after being beaten in a workplace attack. One week later, he underwent a procedure to remove food from his throat. He later vomited blood and went to a hospital emergency department. A gastroenterologist, Dr. Aaron Greenspan, performed a second surgical procedure to investigate his condition and reported an esophageal tear.

At the start of this second procedure, a nurse anesthetist noted the presence of blood in Vines’ stomach. The nurse asked Dr. Greenspan three or four times to convert to general anesthesia and allow Vines to have a breathing tube. Dr. Greenspan refused.

Vines aspirated his stomach contents and went into respiratory and cardiac distress. He suffered hypoxia, which left him with significant memory deficits for six months.

Vines sued Dr. Greenspan, alleging he chose not to change the method of anesthesia during the second surgical procedure. The lawsuit did not claim lost income. After a jury considered the evidence in this case, it signed a verdict for $500,000 in favor of Vines.

The attorney successfully handling this case was Stephen W. Stone.

Vines v. Greenspan, No. 18 L 10 (Ill. Cir. Ct. St. Clair County, Feb. 27, 2023).

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling Illinois medical malpractice lawsuits, physician negligence lawsuits, hospital negligence cases, medical negligence lawsuits and wrongful death 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 45 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Hoffman Estates, Barrington, Long Grove, Prospect Heights, Elk Grove Village, Villa Park, Elmhurst, Maywood, LaGrange, Aurora, Lemont, Homer Glen, Country Club Hills, South Holland, Chicago (Roseland, Hyde Park, Wrigleyville, Near North Side, West Loop, Near West Side, Lawndale, Little Village, McKinley Park, Bridgeport, Kenwood, Woodlawn, Englewood, Wicker Park, Edgewater, Andersonville), Evanston, Glenview, Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights, and Des Plaines, Ill.

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