$8.47 Million Verdict for Brain Damage to 8-Year-Old Child at Nursing Home

Jacob Saul was born prematurely with neurological deficiencies. He was later transferred to Cambridge Pediatrics Nursing Home for rehabilitation.

Jacob remained at the nursing home. At eight months of age, he was found unconscious and in respiratory arrest. It was later revealed that Jacob’s tracheostomy tube had dislodged and that his pulse oximeter machine had been turned off. As a result of this situation, Jacob suffered profound brain damage that led to his blindness, a seizure disorder and deafness. Jacob is now 8 years old.

Jacob’s parents individually, and on his behalf, sued the nursing home alleging that it had negligently cared for Jacob by, among other things, choosing not to ensure that his medical equipment was properly connected. The Saul family’s expert asserted that, but for the improper connection of the equipment and his resulting brain damage, Jacob would have been able to walk with braces and eat without assistance even given his prematurity and neurological injuries.

After the court awarded the Saul family’s motion for directed verdict on causation, the jury entered its verdict for $8,470,000. Post-trial motions are reported to be pending.

The attorneys representing the Saul family were John Neumann Hickey and John E. Kusturiss Jr. At trial, the Saul family’s counsel presented experts in life-care planning and neurology. The defendant nursing home presented experts in pediatric neurology and neonatology.

Yanak v. Cambridge Pediatric Lancaster, No. Cl-10-10611 (Pa. Ct. Pleas Lancaster County, Aug. 5, 2016).

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling nursing home abuse cases, nursing home negligence cases, birth trauma injury cases and brain damage injury 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 40 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Arlington Heights, Bannockburn, Deerfield, Flossmoor, Gurnee, Grayslake, Crystal Lake, Hanover Park, Elmhurst, Elmwood Park, Melrose Park, Chicago (Wicker Park, Logan Square, Hegewisch, East Side, Lincoln Square, Gold Coast, West Town, South Loop), Inverness, Joliet, Aurora and St. Charles, Ill.