Personal Injury Law

Bernie Mac?s Wife Files Chicago Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against His Dermatologist

Rhonda McCullough, the widow of the late comedian Bernie Mac, is suing his Southside dermatologist for Chicago wrongful death. She is seeking at least $50,000. McCullough contends that Dr. Rene M. Earles kept Mac at the clinic for hours on July 17, 2008 when he should have called an ambulance instead. As a result of the alleged Chicago medical malpractice, she claims that Mac developed a number of health complications that eventually lead to his death from pneumonia at age 50 on Aug. 9, 2008. Earles, a dermatologist, had been treating Mac's lesions from sarcoidosis for about 20 years.

In her Cook County wrongful death lawsuit, McCullough is accusing Earles of failing to recognize that her husband was suffering from cardiopulmonary instability. She also claims that the Chicago dermatologist did not identify and respond to the comedian?s ?abnormal vital signs ?and respiratory failure.

Earles, however, has told the Sun-Times that he gave Mac oxygen and allowed him to sleep for four hours because the actor looked unwell when he arrived for his treatment. The dermatologist says that it wasn?t until he gave the actor a physical later on that he was able to determine that Mac had a fever, a rash, and a rapid heart rate. Earles contends that these symptoms were a result of whatever medication another doctor had given him for the flu. Earles says that he then called the other doctor and found out that Mac had been diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia, which affects both lungs.

Chicago Medical Malpractice
Chicago medical malpractice involves negligence on the part of a medical provider that contributed to causing the victim?s injuries, illness, health complications, or death. Granted, most doctors, nurses, surgeons, anesthesiologists, obstetricians, dentists, dermatologists, psychiatrists, oncologists, radiologists, and other types of medical professionals likely never intended to harm anyone. However, medical errors are mistakes that can result in catastrophic consequences for patients.

Bernie Mac's Widow Sues Comedian's Longtime Dermatologist for Wrongful Death, CBS News, August 9, 2010

Bernie Mac's wife sues doctor, Chicago Sun-Times, August 6, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Bernie Mac Biography

Comedian Bernie Mac dead at 50, USA Today, August 10, 2010

Full post as published by Chicago Injury Attorney Blog on August 11, 2010 (boomark / email).