Personal Injury Law

$22.3 Million Verdict Rendered Against Christ Hospital in Chicago

By Steven M. Levin and John J. Perconti

A Cook County jury awarded the parents of a ten-year-old boy with a $22.3 million verdict in a medical negligence case. The medical law case arose out of the care and treatment ten years ago which resulted in the loss of the boy?s left leg. The boy had been born with a congenital heart defect which required a shunt procedure. He was then sent home with his parents. Two weeks after his hospital dismissal his parents took him to the emergency room at the hospital where a series of delays and overall negligent care led to his injuries. His left leg, which was improperly dressed in the operating room, ultimately had to be amputated. Additionally, treatment and cardiac catheterization led to his cognitive deficiencies and developmental delays. The jury agreed that the hospital and staff were medically negligent in that they failed to make a timely diagnosis of the shunt problem; improperly subjected him to an unnecessary cardiac catheterization; improperly applied a pressure dressing to Jake?s left leg and also failed to remove in a timely fashion; failed to monitor his pulse and improperly destroyed an echocardiogram. To read more about the medical malpractice trial, please click the link.

Full post as published by Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog on November 24, 2009 (boomark / email).