Charles Blevins, 63, underwent outpatient arthroscopic knee surgery. Four days after the surgery, Blevins went to a hospital emergency room complaining of fever and a hot and swollen knee. He was diagnosed as having pseudomonas infection and required hospitalization for one month; during that time he received IV antibiotics.
The infection, however, destroyed Blevins’s right knee joint, which necessitated a total knee replacement and required revision about a year later.
Blevins filed a lawsuit against the surgical center alleging the use of unsterile surgical instruments. According to Blevins’s lawsuit, at least 3 other patients contracted the same type of infection during the 10-day period surrounding his surgery. The lawsuit did not claim lost income.
The jury entered a verdict of $534,000 against the surgical center. Post trial motions are still pending.
The attorney representing Blevins was Jeffrey Stulberg.
Blevins v. Coastal Surgical Inst., No. CV 120062 (Cal., San Luis Obispo Co. Super., Dec. 13, 2013).
Kreisman Law Offices has been handling medical negligence cases, surgical negligence cases 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 Evergreen Park, Oak Lawn, Blue Island, Alsip, Robbins, Crestwood, Midlothian, Hickory Hills River Forest, River Grove, Franklin Park, Maywood, Lincolnshire, Arlington Heights, Brookfield, Kenilworth, Round Lake Beach, St. Charles and Chicago (Chinatown, Edgewater, Greek Town, Humboldt Park, Hyde Park, Irving Park, Jackson Park, Jefferson Park and Austin), Ill.
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