Personal Injury Law

Family Wins Medical Malpractice Suit Against Chicago Hospital

By Steven M. Levin and John J. Perconti

A Gurnee, Illinois family has won a $29.1 million verdict in a medical malpractice lawsuit that was decided in federal court. The Daily Herald is reporting that the verdict benefits the 6-year-old victim who is now a quadriplegic suffering from cerebral palsy. The boy was delivered with the birth injury in May of 2003 at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago.
The medical malpractice lawsuit was brought in federal court because the doctors guilty of the medical error worked for a federally funded clinic in Chicago. This federally run facility was called the Erie Family Health Center. The medical malpractice lawsuit was also filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which allows victims to sue the federal government. The downfall to filing under the Federal Tort Claims Act is that it only requires a bench trial without a jury. Thus, Northern District of Illinois Judge Amy St. Eve was responsible for handing down the medical malpractice verdict. While the verdict was for $29.1 million, this will be setoff by a previous $6.5 million settlement reached with the hospital last year.

Cerebral Palsy is a common birth defect that can be a result of medical malpractice. When doctors leave the baby in the birth canal too long, cerebral palsy may develop. Cerebral Palsy affects a child?s movement and posture and can result in involuntary or uncontrolled movements. If your child has cerebral palsy as the result of medical error, please consult a Chicago medical malpractice lawyer. To read more about this medical malpractice verdict, please click the link.

Full post as published by Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog on April 07, 2010 (boomark / email).