Elder Law

UIC Hospital Board Approves $16.2 Million Medical Malpractice Settlement

By Levin & Perconti

Part of $17.7 M Settlement Obtained by Levin & Perconti for Brain Injured Client

On Thursday evening, the University of Illinois Board of Trustees approved a $16.2 million settlement, part of a $17.7 million settlement, for our client, George Nissen, who suffered a devastating brain injury while under the care of nursing staff at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center (UIC). Chicago injury lawyer Steve Levin, along with associate Margaret Battersby, represented George, now 47, in the medical malpractice lawsuit.

George, a former Stone Park, IL police officer, sustained a brain stem herniation when UIC hospital staff failed to monitor his intracranial pressure (ICP) during an external ventricular drain (EVD) challenge. As a result of the nursing staff?s negligence, he now suffers from quadriplegia, cannot eat , and can only communicate to family, friends and caregivers through eye movements and head shaking.

The lawsuit alleged that during this challenge, nursing staff failed to properly monitor George's intracranial pressure. During an EVD challenge, nursing staff must closely monitor a patient?s ICP to ensure that it does not exceed acceptable limits. When a patient?s ICP level gets too high, a nurse must notify a physician. Throughout the night, George's ICP was at dangerous levels, but his caregivers failed to recognize these changes in his neurological condition.

?As a result of this negligence, George?s ICP level dangerously elevated, his neurological status declined, and his physicians were not notified until he had already suffered catastrophic injuries,? said attorney Steven Levin.

?The settlement was reached on the eve of trial,? added Steve. ?Now that the Board has approved the settlement, the family must wait for the Court to approve the settlement order. This should occur in the coming weeks.? In addition to the $16.2 million paid by UIC, a defendant nursing agency will also pay $1.5 million.

Click on the link to read the full press release announcing this medical malpractice settlement.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on November 19, 2010 (boomark / email).