Ms. Doe, 70, suffered from atrial fibrillation and had two mechanical heart valves. She was prescribed Coumadin to prevent a stroke. When Dr. Roe, her treating cardiologist, recommended elective replacement of her pacemaker battery, the Coumadin was stopped five days before the procedure. It was then restarted after the surgery.…
Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney Blog
$75 Million Jury Verdict in Failure to Timely Diagnose Stroke
Jonathan Buckelew, 32, experienced neck pain and a headache for four days. In addition, he suffered bouts of blurred vision and ringing in his ears. He went to a chiropractor — Dr. Michael Axt — who completed a neck adjustment. When Buckelew sat up after the adjustment, he reported dizziness;…
$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…
$300,000 Settlement for Excessive Use of Radiation
Jennifer Schlutt, 26, was diagnosed as having squamous cell carcinoma of the distal urethra or periurethral area. She underwent a course of radiotherapy treatment, including external beam radiotherapy and the placement of an implant. During this radiation treatment, which lasted approximately six weeks, Schlutt suffered a severe reaction. She complained…
U.S. District Court Declines to Rule Unconstitutional the Illinois Prejudgment Interest Act
A federal district court judge in Chicago declined to stay the prejudgment interest in a medical malpractice case, reaching a similar conclusion given by another federal judge in this highly anticipated ruling. In a written opinion recently published, U.S. District Court Judge Steven C. Seeger declined to rule on the…
Missouri Supreme Court Rejects Plaintiff’s Argument Regarding Failure to Provide Affidavit of Merit Required for Medical Malpractice Cases
Alfred J. Giudicy appealed the circuit court’s judgment dismissing his medical malpractice case without prejudice after he chose not to file an affidavit of merit within 180 days. The filing deadline is required under § 538.225. Giudicy argued that § 538.225 violates the Missouri Constitution. It was also contended by…
$1.3 Million Settlement Reached in Unnecessary Gynecological Surgery
Yahaira Perez, 39, experienced pain in her right upper quadrant. She went to a hospital emergency room where a CT scan revealed thickening of the colon and an incidental finding of an enlarged cervix with a 2.5 cm lesion. Perez consulted her gynecologist, Dr. Mohammad Nizam, who scheduled her for…
$29.5 Million Settlement for Permanent Injury Suffered by Patient During Medical Procedure
Doe was admitted to a hospital to undergo a non-emergency medical procedure. During or because of the non-emergency surgery, something evidently did not go as planned. Doe suffered permanent injuries that now require 24/7 care; he is unable to work. Doe sued the physician, the downstate Illinois hospital, and a…
$1 Million Settlement with Hospital and Jury Verdict Against Physician in Negligent Discharge Case
Leon Radcliff, 48, suffered from heroin addiction when he was admitted to Holy Cross Hospital after developing severe asthmatic symptoms resulting from large doses of prednisone. He received treatment for approximately two days. He was prescribed Ativan to stabilize his condition. About ten hours after his last dose of Ativan,…
$28.5 Million Settlement Reached in Failure to Diagnose and Treat Brain Tumor
Doe, 14, began experiencing headaches, balance issues, fatigue and dizziness. In 2015, Doe underwent an MRI at Florence MRI & Imaging, where radiologist Dr. Zachary Kilpatrick interpreted the MRI as showing no abnormalities, critical findings or cause for concern. Doe’s symptoms continued intermittently. He underwent a second MRI in 2018.…