Kreisman Law Offices Professional Corporation
T.S., a 55-year-old male, was hospitalized at Provena St. Joseph Hospital from April 9 to April 15, 2005, and received outpatient care from April 18 to April 28, 2005. He complained of back pain to nurses, but it was claimed that this information was not communicated to the attending doctors.
T.S. alleged that he suffered a spinal infection, which was not included in the differential diagnosis of the treating physicians, and that appropriate diagnostic imaging studies and lab tests were not done. Because of the infection, T.S. suffered permanent paraplegia, paralysis from the chest down, and neurogenic bowel and bladder dysfunction. He is confined to a wheelchair.
The medical negligence lawsuit was brought against Provena Hospital, treating physicians, radiologists and Kishwaukee Hospital, where T.S. was admitted on April 28, 2005.
The jury awarded the largest Kane County paraplegia verdict in its history. The verdict of $4,752,000 was held against Provena Hospitals, Winters Family Practice and Dr. Diana Solis for the following damages:
• $451,000 for disfigurement;
• $663,000 for loss of normal life;
• $633,000 for pain and suffering;
• $492,000 for medical expenses;
• $588,000 for past and future wage loss;
• $1,925,000 for future help.
The jury did not find against a pulmonologist and the emergency room physicians. There was also a settlement reached with another physician for his $2 million insurance policy limits, Kishwaukee Community Hospital for $300,000 and Virtual Radiology Consultants and Dr. Ann Tran for $425,000.
The attorney for T.S. was Christopher Patrick Ford. According to the Jury Verdict Report, the plaintiff’s demand to settle before trial was $3,275,000. The offer to settle by Provena Hospital was $750,000, with the remaining defendants offering nothing.
The defendants all denied negligence and denied proximate causation of the plaintiff’s devastating injuries.
T.S. v. Provena Hospitals, et al.,
Kreisman Law Offices has been handling medical negligence claims for individuals and families for more than 40 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and surrounding areas, including Rosemont, Harwood Heights, Highwood, Hegewisch, Hanover Park, Chicago (Jackson Park), Villa Park, Midlothian, Antioch and Berwyn, Ill.
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