Personal Injury Law

$17.7M Chicago Medical Malpractice Settlement Reached in Melrose Park Man?s Brain Injury Case

The University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, a nursing agency, and Melrose Park resident George Nissen have settled his Cook County medical malpractice case for $17.7 million. Nissen, a former Stone Park police officer, suffered a brain injury while receiving treatment at the hospital. He is now a quadriplegic who cannot use his mouth to eat or speak. The hospital will pay $16.2 million of the Chicago injury settlement.

According to the 47-year-old man's Cook County medical malpractice lawyers, he developed a brain stem herniation after hospital staff failed to properly monitor his intracranial pressure while he underwent an external ventricular drain. Nissen had been admitted to UIC?s neurosurgical intensive care unit on February 23, 2005 after suffering a stroke.

After trying to drain the extra fluid from his brain, doctors told nursing staff to test the drain by clamping it, and this is when the alleged negligence occurred. In his Chicago medical malpractice complaint, Nissen contends that despite the fact that his intracranial pressure was at dangerous levels, his caregivers did not notice any changes in his condition or tell a doctor.

Also named as defendants of Nissen?s lawsuit for alleged Chicago nursing negligence were two UIC staff nurses, a healthcare staffing agency, and an agency nurse, who allegedly had no previous experience taking care of patients in the neurosurgical intensive care unit when she was assigned to him.

Chicago Medical Malpractice
Doctors, nurses, and other medical providers cannot afford to be negligent with the care that they provide to patients. Even the failure to perform what may seem like routine tasks, such as regularly a patient?s vitals, following procedures and protocols, or administering medications at the designated hours can prove catastrophic and even deadly should health complications arise.

Melrose Park man settles for $17.7 million in malpractice suit, PioneerLocal, November 22, 2010

UIC Settles Malpractice Suit For $16.2M, CBS Chicago, November 19, 2010

Related Web Resources:
University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center

Medical Malpractice, Nolo

Full post as published by Chicago Injury Attorney Blog on December 03, 2010 (boomark / email).