Ask any Chicago medical malpractice lawyer and they will tell you that even in a plaintiff friendly place like Cook County these lawsuits are a challenge. In fact 80% of the cases that go to trial in Cook County are won by the defense. That said, some cases are winners. The following is a list of the 10 biggest medical malpractice verdicts from Illinois in 2009 and a brief description of what happened.
1. Award for Plaintiff: $25.00 Million
Case Cite: Payton White, etc. v. Eileen Murphy, M.D.,
Brief Description: Child now 8 is a quadriplegic as a result of doctor not properly interpreting results of a non-stress test and ultrasound which was performed during the day of his birth therefore child suffered oxygen loss at the time of his birth.
2. Award for Plaintiff: $15.71 Million
Case Cite: Elda Heng, etc. vs Rush University, et al.,
Brief Description: A 51 year old woman was left in a vegetative state after a doctor performed a neuroendovascular coiling and stenting procedure which he used a device which was not FDA approved.
3. Award for Plaintiff: $12.50 Million
Case Cite: Lourdes Perez, etc. vs St. Francis Hospital of Evanston
Brief Description: Woman left with choreoathetoid cerebral palsy due to the nurse failing to properly monitor patient and leaving the patients side causing her heart rate to drop. Woman could not be resuscitated in utero so emergency cesarean was perform.
4. Award for Plaintiff: $12.50 Million
Case Cite: Keith Quadros, et al. vs Undisclosed Medical Provider,
Brief Description: Feeding tube was inserted into 3 week old premature infants lung space instead of his stomach. Baby went into respiratory arrest after being fed and suffered oxygen deprivation which in turn caused cerebral palsy.
5. Award for Plaintiff: $12.00 Million
Case Cite: Michael Davis, etc. vs Rashidi Gani Loya, MD., et al
Brief Description: 44 year old woman suffered anoxic encephalopathy and brain damage as a result of alarms failing to sound on the ventilator equipment during an elective biopsy for left ankle pain.
6. Award for Plaintiff: $12.00 Million
Case Cite: Jeremy Law vs OSF Healthcare System
Brief Description: Baby boy born with permanent disabilities and is required to be on a ventilator and 24 hour care. This is a result of the doctor failing to determine child was breech before inducing labor and the nurse’s failure to notify doctor of the baby becoming bradycardic.
7. Award for Plaintiff: $11.00 Million
Case Cite: Mark Bentivenga, etc. vs. Pamela Good win, M.D., et al.,
Brief Description: Case brought by Chicago wrongful death attorney after patient had a brain hemorrhage and died after being induced due to doctors failure to monitor blood pressure knowing the patient had severe preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome.
8. Award for Plaintiff: $10.20 Million
Case Cite: Shawn Luera, et al. vs. Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group, et al.,
Brief Description: 34 year old man left with physical, language and cognitive deficits from doctors failure to diagnose infective endocarditis. This caused the patient to have a embolic stroke.
9. Award for Plaintiff: $9.80 Million
Case Cite: Robert Dickerson, etc vs. Cook County
Brief Description:27 year old woman admitted for preterm labor. Emergency cesarean was performed and he anesthesia team was not informed that the woman was hypovolemic. The women died when the epidural was administered.
10. Award for Plaintiff: $9.75 Million
Case Cite: Rosa Lopez, et al. vs Leeber Cohen, M.D., et al
Brief Description: Pitocin was improperly managed by hospital staff after being administered. Which in turn caused abnormal fetal heart tones. Baby suffered hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy as well as numerous other problems.
