On Sept. 22, 2016, Stephanie Delknap was seen by Dr. David Crawford for treatment of gastroesophageal reflux with hiatal hernia. Dr. Crawford “attempted” a partial fundoplication procedure. In the following 24 hours, Delknap experienced gagging and retching, could not tolerate food, and had “very poor input and output.” She was…
Articles Posted in Nursing errors
$10.5 Million Settlement Reached in Failure to Properly Evaluate, Timely Treat Lost Kidney Function
Matthew Rossignol, a combat veteran and a father of three, underwent an annual test at the Harry Truman Veterans Administration Hospital. The test results showed that he had an eGFR of 72.7. An eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) is a measure of how well the kidneys are functioning. The eGFR…
$18 Million Jury Verdict in Late Diagnosis of Breast Cancer
Kerri Downes, 22, discovered a lump in her right breast while showering. She went to Axia Women’s Health, where she was seen by a nurse practitioner, Eileen Carpenter. Carpenter diagnosed fibrocystic breast changes, and a follow-up exam was scheduled for two weeks later. At this appointment, Carpenter again diagnosed bilateral…
$35 Million Jury Verdict in Negligent Monitoring in Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Jay West, 59, cut the fingertip of his left thumb while using a table saw. He went to Springhill Medical Center where he was advised that a fingertip amputation was medically necessary. After the surgery, his treating surgeon wrote an order authorizing up to 4 mg of IV Dilaudid every…
$3.5 Million Settlement for Failure to Timely Treat Stroke, Symptoms
Ms. Doe underwent successful breast reconstruction surgery. She was recovering in the hospital when she began to experience weakness on one side of her body, which progressed to full-side weakness, facial drooping and loss of speech. Ms. Doe’s family members and pastor reported her symptoms to hospital nurses who allegedly…
$2 Million Court Award in Failure to Timely Diagnose Breast Cancer
Melissa Avilez suffered from breast lumps and pain. She consulted a certified nurse midwife, Kerry-Ann Dacosta, who worked for Urban Health Plan, a federally funded clinic. Although Avilez sought treatment from Nurse Dacosta nine times in 2015 and 2016, she was not referred to a breast surgeon. In 2017, Avilez…
$2 Million Jury Verdict for Negligent Injection Procedure Causing Permanent Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Crystal Guinard suffered from severe migraine headaches. She was in her thirties at the time. She received Phenergan and Toradol injections. Guinard received a Phenergan injection performed by nurse Marie Krausz, who was an employee of the urgent care clinic Patient First Maryland Medical Group. She then suffered a sciatic…
$300,000 Settlement for Wrongful Death of Patient Who Died from the Failure to Monitor Respiratory Status
Michelle Phibbs, 29, had a history of mental illness. She was admitted to Heartland Behavioral Healthcare, a state-run psychiatric hospital, for an inpatient stay after experiencing difficulty following the death of a close family friend. A psychiatrist diagnosed bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and alcohol abuse, among other problems, and…
Illinois House Bill Fails to Gain Traction as to Nurse-Staffing Ratios in Hospitals
A proposed Illinois law would limit the number of patients each hospital nurse would be allowed to care for at one time. The proposed legislation was based on a national survey, which suggested that such a rule would lead to better working conditions for nurses and would benefit patient care.…
$4.7 Million Jury Verdict for Negligence in Choosing Not to Detect Misplaced Catheter
Connie Lockhart was hospitalized after overdosing on medication. She was 58 years old at the time of this incident. An emergency room physician inserted a central line femoral catheter in her right leg. However, this was misplaced into her femoral artery instead of her femoral vein. Lockhart was transferred to…