Personal Injury Law

$16.2 Million Settlement For Malpractice Lawsuit Approved By UIC Board

By Steven M. Levin and John J. Perconti

Two of our Chicago malpractice attorneys, Steven Levin and Margaret Battersby, recently helped one victim of medical malpractice reach a $17.7 million settlement agreement with the Chicago medical providers that caused his injuries.

In mid-February of 2005 the victim was brought to the Neurosurgical Intensive Care unit at the University of Illinois Chicago Medical Center after suffering a stroke. The patient was a police officer whose stroke was believed to be caused by an injury inflicted while attempting to make an arrest. When the officer arrived at the hospital doctors inserted an EVD device into his body to drain excess fluid from his brain.

The malpractice occurred a little over a week later when nursing staff members were testing the drain to determine if it should be removed?a task known as an EVD challenge. During the testing process the staff failed to properly monitor the victim?s intracranial pressure. This is a well-known and vital monitoring process, because if the pressure levels get too high the patient could suffer permanent brain problems. In this case, the pressure reached dangerous levels, but the nursing staff failed to notify anyone of the problem. Over that night the problem caused the patient to suffer worsening neurological conditions, but the staff again failed to take any notice.

As a result of the failure to monitor the pressure and the change in condition the victim suffered a catastrophic brain injury. Specifically, the medical negligence led to a brain stem herniation. He now suffers from quadriplegia, cannot eat or speak, and communicates only through eye movements and head shaking.

The victim sued the hospital and nursing staff for their malpractice. This week on the eve of that trial the UIC Board finally approved settlement in the case?agreeing to pay $16.2 million. The nursing agency involved will pay an additional $1.5 million for its role in the tragic event. Now the family must only wait for the Court to officially approve the settlement order in the coming weeks.

Full post as published by Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog on November 19, 2010 (boomark / email).