Personal Injury Law

Report on Record-Breaking $17.7 Million Levin & Perconti Settlement

By Steven M. Levin and John J. Perconti

Yesterday the Chicago Sun-Times profiled the latest settlement reached by Levin & Perconti on behalf of a victim of medical malpractice at the University of Illinois Chicago Medical Center. We discussed the $17.7 million settlement last week which is not awaiting approval by the judge.

The victim, a police officer, was brought to the University of Illinois Chicago Medical Center after suffering a stroke sustained while attempting to make an arrest. The malpractice occurred a little over a week later when nursing staff members were testing an EVD device connected to the patient?s brain to determine if it should be removed?known as an EVD challenge. Unfortunately, nursing staff failed to properly monitor the victim?s intracranial pressure during the test. The monitoring process is vital 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. The victim?s condition worsened overnight but the staff again failed to take any notice.

As a result of the failure to monitor the pressure and ignorance of the change in condition the officer suffered a catastrophic brain injury?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. Last week 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.

Full post as published by Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog on November 23, 2010 (boomark / email).