Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney Blog

March 4, 2014

$2.1 Million Cook County Jury Verdict After Doctor’s Failure to Diagnose Child’s Infection

Tony Love, 13, came through the emergency department at Ingalls Memorial Hospital complaining of left knee pain and a fever on Sept. 23, 2007. He was diagnosed with a quadriceps strain and was sent home.

The next morning, Sept. 24, 2007, Love was seen by the defendant physician, Dr. Arun Shah at Harvey Health Center for complaints of continuing knee pain, but his temperature was normal.

Dr. Shah diagnosed Love as having a sprained knee. Three days later on Sept. 27, 2007, Love was taken to South Suburban Hospital with a high fever, severe knee pain and inability to walk. The lab work there showed an elevated white blood count and elevated liver enzymes as well as a blood culture that revealed methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the knee.

March 3, 2014

Illinois Jury Finds for Radiologist in Missed Brain Mass in CT Scan

by Robert Kreisman

In September 2007, 55-year-old Barbara Ann Drebek-Doyle underwent a CT scan of the sinuses due to her recurrent sinusitis condition. The test was performed at Advocate Condell Gurnee Outpatient Radiology Center. The scan was interpreted by the defendant Dr. David E. Foosaner, a radiologist. In a lawsuit that was filed by Ms. Drebek-Doyle, she contended that Dr. Foosaner chose not to detect and report a brain mass or tumor that was seen on the CT scan. As a result, the tumor remained undiscovered and untreated for 3.5 years.

In March 2011, an MRI of the brain showed the brain mass at the top center of Ms. Drebek-Doyle’s head. Surgery was done to remove the benign mass, a meningioma that was in the membrane lining of the brain. Meningioma occur most frequently with women; they cause various types of symptoms. Some symptoms include chronic headache, nausea, vomiting and balance issues. If the tumor is not removed fairly quickly, there is a risk that it may increase in size and cause much more serious effects, including death.

The plaintiff maintained that if the radiologist defendant had reported the mass in 2007, it could have been removed at that time. Instead, the delay caused Ms. Drebek-Doyle to suffer various problems over the next 3 ½ years, including increased headaches, loss of balance, memory deficits, bowel incontinence and fatigue.

February 28, 2014

$2.5 Million Settlement for Doctor’s Failure to Follow Up on Signs and Symptoms of Lung Cancer

by Robert Kreisman

A confidential settlement was reached wherein a 63-year-old woman’s misdiagnosed lung cancer led to her untimely death. The woman, identified only as Doe, underwent a CT scan while she was hospitalized. This showed a lung lesion that the interpreting radiologist reported as possible cancer. A hospitalist reported these findings to Doe’s primary care physician.

The primary care physician referred Doe to a pulmonologist but did not tell her that cancer was suspected. The hospital sent Doe’s CT scan to the pulmonologist, who reported to the primary care physician that part of the scan was missing. The primary care physician allegedly said that he would provide the missing film. However, there was no followup. The pulmonologist also chose not tell Doe that cancer was suspected when the two subsequently met.

Five years later, Doe developed shortness of breath and other ominous symptoms. Doe was diagnosed with having Stage IV lung cancer; she died two months later. Doe was survived by her husband and two adult children. Doe’s husband filed a lawsuit against the primary care physician and the pulmonologist claiming that these defendants chose not to follow up on the radiologist’s suspicion of lung cancer. The lawsuit did not claim any lost income.

January 29, 2014

Medical Malpractice Injuries is the Problem, Not Litigation

by Robert Kreisman

It is estimated that 250,000 people die each year in the United States as a result of medical malpractice according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Approximately 80,000 Medicare patients suffer preventable adverse events that contribute to their deaths; as many as half of those deaths are due to emergency room errors.

In 2003, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office stated that “181,000 severe injuries (attributable to medical negligence) occurred in U.S. hospitals [,]”. These numbers show that medical malpractice deaths have worsened during the past ten years. Despite this increase, state governments and legislatures have tried to impede the amount of money recoverable to injured or killed persons and/or their families as the result of medical malpractice.

For example, in Missouri, where I have been a member of the bar since 1976, nearly 1/3 of medical malpractice cases involve surgery in some way. The next largest percentage of medical errors reported there is 18.7% for misdiagnosis leading to severe injury or death followed by 13.2% involving falls or injuries during transport of patients.

December 13, 2013

Metal-On-Metal Hip Implants Enter the Marketplace Without Sufficient Clinical Data

by Robert Kreisman

It has been reported that the medical devices that pose the greatest safety risk to patients, including the metal-on-metal hip implants, are allowed into the marketplace without sufficient evaluation for safety and effectiveness.

According to a recent New England Journal of Medicine article, it was found that previously cleared medical devices, including the metal-on-metal hip implant, were cleared without being fully assessed for safety and effectiveness.

The medical device amendments of 1976 created three classes of devices: Class I included low-risk devices like a toothbrush; Class II devices were of moderate-risk like an infusion pump; and a Class III medical device would be one that would put a patient at high risk, such as the metal-on-metal hip implants.

December 9, 2013

$1.6 Million Jury Verdict for Fatal Brain Trauma in Hospital Room

by Robert Kreisman

South Korean immigrant Young Bahng, 60, was admitted to the University of Chicago Hospital on April 18, 2006. He was there to undergo a live-donor liver transplant from his son. Bahng was self-employed in the conveyor system business. He was suffering from end stage liver disease as a result of having hepatitis B since 1990.

On April 19, 2006 in the early morning hours, Bahng fell in his hospital room while attempting to walk to the urinal. He struck his head in the fall and sustained a massive subdural hematoma and intracranial bleed, which required immediate surgery.

By the time the surgery was under way, Bahng had sustained profound brain damage and was placed on life support immediately following a craniectomy. He died as a result of his brain trauma on April 25, 2006 and was survived by his wife and children.

December 9, 2013

$38.61 Million Jury Verdict in Misdiagnosis of Stroke

by Robert Kreisman

Kody Myrick, 17, suddenly slumped over at his job and had difficulty speaking. He was brought to Bakersfield Memorial Hospital’s emergency department. A nurse there made note of a possible stroke. Then an emergency room physician diagnosed profound neurological deficits and ordered a brain CT scan. The scan results showed an abnormality.

Four hours after the onset of symptoms, Kody was seen by a hospitalist to arrange admission to the hospital. The doctor called in admission orders and included a diagnosis of possible stroke. However, Kody was not seen by a doctor for the remainder of that night.

Kody’s neurological condition worsened suddenly the next morning. He was later diagnosed as having an ischemic stroke, which resulted in significant damage to his brain stem. Kody now suffers incomplete tetraplegia and requires 24-hour care.

December 6, 2013

Cook County Jury Verdict for Hospital in Paraplegic Spinal Surgery Case

by Robert Kreisman

A Cook County jury has decided that Northwestern Memorial Hospital was not negligent after a back surgery on 83-year-old JoAnn Smith went wrong.

On Aug. 5, 2010, Smith underwent an L4-5 microendoscopic foraminotomy and discectomy at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for management of her back pain. After the surgery, she was diagnosed with multiple deep vein thromboses, pulmonary embolism and a blood clot in her right internal jugular vein. Heparin was given to help with the clotting issue.

On Aug. 8, 2010, Smith developed abnormal neurological signs and symptoms. An MRI revealed internal bleeding and cord compression in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. An emergency decompression surgery was done.

December 5, 2013

Cook County Jury Verdict for Hospital and Doctor in Failure to Hospitalize Pneumonia Patient Blamed for Death

by Robert Kreisman

Danute Paulaviciene, 57, came to the office of the defendant internist, Dr. Edmund Vizinas, on Dec. 27, 2008 complaining of fever, shortness of breath and poor sleep. She had recently visited the caves in Missouri. On examination, she was noted to have a fever of 100.5 degrees, pulse of 110, respirations of 16 and 94 percent oxygen saturation level.

Dr. Vizinas ordered a chest x-ray, complete blood count and metabolic profile. The patient returned to Dr. Vizinas two days later and told him she was feeling better and had no shortness of breath on exertion. Her temperature was normal. Dr. Vizinas told her that her chest x-ray revealed extensive bilateral infiltrates, her complete blood count was essentially normal with a normal white count and a slight rise in neutrophils and her metabolic profile showed slightly decreased albumin, elevated sedimentation rate, slightly decreased total cholesterol and slightly elevated liver function.

Dr. Vizinas started her on Avelox, an antibiotic given for community acquired pneumonia. On Dec. 31, Paulaviciene’s daughter-in-law checked on her at 4 a.m. and found that she had a fever, but by 6 a.m., it had come down. At 8 a.m. she was coughing but not gasping or having difficulty breathing. However, by 9 a.m., she was extremely short of breath, gasping and unable to speak. She was rushed to Edward Hospital in Naperville, Ill., with severe shortness of breath and 82 percent oxygen saturation levels while on oxygen. She was sent to the ICU at the hospital and placed on a ventilator. Her condition never improved, and she died 11 days later survived by her adult son and a daughter who lives in Lithuania.

December 3, 2013

$4.51 Million Jury Verdict for Untimely Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiac Arrest

by Robert Kreisman

Janelle Jones, 57, underwent a cardiac catherization at Medical Center of Southeast Texas. Jones complained of chest pain before she was discharged. She underwent some testing. Jones was told to follow up with her treating physician in one week or go to the hospital if her pain increased.

Four days after she was discharged from the hospital, Jones met with her treating cardiologist and complained of shortness of breath, chest pain and increased heart rate. The doctor diagnosed a stomach issue and prescribed medicine.

Four days after that, Jones went to the emergency room at the hospital, where she later died of a fatal heart attack. She was survived by her husband and four children.