Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog

Woman Awarded Nearly $3 Million from Medical Malpractice

2009-06-29T13:36:01Z

A jury awarded a woman nearly $3 million from a medical malpractice suit she had filed against a physician group for a bowel leak during surgery that was to remove a cyst on her ovary. The leak was not discovered until 10 days later although the doctors should have seen it earlier through images taken of her uterus. Due to this mistake, the woman was left with a large abdominal hernia and permanent scars. The woman’s medical malpractice attorney said the judge will reduce his client’s jury award due to malpractice caps in their state.

Read more about the jury award for medical malpractice here.

Patients Given Incorrect Radiation Doses

2009-06-28T13:43:38Z

At a veterans’ hospital, 92 veterans were given incorrect radiation doses to treat their prostate cancer. According to the article, “most veterans got significantly less than the prescribed dose while others received excessive radiation to nearby tissue and organs.” Since then, the medical center has stopped all prostate cancer treatment because of the medical errors found. Thus far, none of the patients have filed a medical malpractice suit against the medical center.

Read more about the veterans’ hospital here.

Medical Center Fined for Negligence

2009-06-27T13:51:35Z

A medical center was fined $25,000.00 for medical negligence when it allowed a patient to fall off an x-ray table which resulted in blinding of one of the patient’s eyes. Although the medical center had warning that the woman appeared confused and disoriented with a high risk of falling, she was not supervised during her x-ray procedure. The woman’s eyeball was ruptured after falling to the floor. The woman has yet to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against the center.

Read more about the medical negligence here.

Man Awarded $1.21 Million in Medical Malpractice

2009-06-26T13:51:09Z

A man was awarded $1.21 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit he filed against his podiatrist. The man’s medical malpractice attorney claimed his client saw his doctor for foot pain when the doctor incorrectly diagnosed the man and performed unnecessary surgery on him. However, the jury award of $1.21 million will be reduced due to a medical malpractice award cap. The judgment will be reduced to $750,000.00.

Read more about the medical malpractice award here.

Hospital Pays Out in Medical Malpractice

2009-06-25T13:43:36Z

A woman who claims she was misdiagnosed at a hospital who confused her x-rays filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital. The woman claims while at the hospital suffering from a ruptured diaphragm, miscommunication ensued over her x-rays which led doctors to diagnose her with a urinary tract infection and muscle strain. When the emergency room finally corrected this medical misdiagnosis several weeks later, doctors had to surgically remove a third of her stomach. The woman’s medical malpractice attorney claims the woman has had six corrective surgeries since the hospital’s negligence. A jury awarded her $5 million against the hospital.

Read more about the medical malpractice jury award here.

Military Medical Malpractice Bill Proposed

2009-06-24T13:36:04Z

After long debate, a federal bill has been proposed that would allow military families to sue for medical malpractice. Currently there are laws in place that make it nearly impossible for GIs and their families to sue for medical malpractice. This proposed law is unique because the federal bill would hold the government, not doctors, accountable for non-combatant related injuries. In one example of military personnel unable to sue, a GI had the wrong breast operated on to remove cancer. She was unable to sue. Her medical malpractice attorney claims even convicted felons in prison can sue the government for medical malpractice, but military personnel cannot.

Read more about this medical malpractice debate here.

Medical Insurance Group Loses Appeals

2009-06-23T13:28:40Z

A medical malpractice insurance group claims it should not have to cover a physician in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Intermed claims the proper documentation was not filed by the physician and its clinic and thus did not have to cover the physician in a settlement against him. The insurance group also claims that the physician and clinic did not submit the proper documentation before their policy ended with the insurance group. The court found that Intermed was properly put on notice and must cover the physician and clinic.

Read more about the medical malpractice insurance group here.

Man’s Misdiagnosed Staph Infection Settles Big

2009-06-23T05:18:55Z

A man with a staph infection was misdiagnosed and filed a medical malpractice suit. The man’s medical malpractice attorney claims his client went to the emergency room complaining of headaches, shakes, and fever. The doctor on duty told the man he had a strain of flu and just needed rest. Instead the man had a staph infection in which he almost lost his life. The jury awarded the man $5.45 million dollars for medical malpractice.

Read more about the medical misdiagnosis here.

Veterans Given Incorrect Radiation to Cure Prostate Cancer

2009-06-22T04:34:05Z

Ninety-two veterans were given incorrect radiation doses in an attempt to treat their prostate cancer at a veterans’ hospital. Although the treatment equipment was broken, the hospital continued to treat the veterans. Thus far no medical malpractice suits have been filed against the hospital. If you know someone who has been medically mistreated, consider contacting a medical malpractice attorney.

Read more about the medication dosing errors here.

Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney Settles case for $5.3M

2009-06-21T05:20:15Z

A Chicago medical malpractice attorney, John Perconti, stated in a press release that a settlement had finally been reached on behalf of Octavia Shealey, a Chicago hospital patient who died from cardiac arrest. The settlement reached $ 5,350,000.00 for medical malpractice against Octavia’s physicians. Although Octavia had signs of congestive heart failure after giving birth to her daughter which would implicate she was suffering from postpartum cardiomyopathy, she went undiagnosed. The physicians instead checked Octavia into the emergency room overnight. Not until the next morning did a cardiologist recognize Octavia’s symptoms. This recognition was too late and Octavia died of heart failure within the Chicago hospital walls.

Read more about the Chicago medical malpractice settlement here.

Medical Negligence Attorneys Reach $2M Settlement

2009-06-20T05:08:13Z

A woman who complained of chest pains was misdiagnosed by a physician which led to permanent heart damage. The woman later filed a medical malpractice claim against the physician for misdiagnosing her chest pains. The medical insurer for the physician group the doctor belonged to also claimed that the group did not properly report the medical malpractice claim. The judge for the medical malpractice suit concluded that the woman should receive $2 million in damages.

Read more about the medical malpractice settlement here.

Man Files Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Alleging Medical Mistakes Made

2009-06-19T03:38:37Z

A man filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against a medical center claiming they made a series of medical mistakes while treating him for severe abdominal pain. The man was rushed to the hospital where he claims he was misdiagnosed and told he needed surgery. When undergoing surgery, the man claims the doctors realized they were wrong about needing to perform the surgery in the first place on the man. Later, the man was diagnosed with a digital hernia from the surgical procedure.

Read more about the medical negligence lawsuithere.

Family Sues for Medical Malpractice after Surgical Error

2009-06-18T03:33:06Z

Medical malpractice attorneys representing the family of a deceased woman sued a hospital and surgeon for medical negligence after the woman died from sepsis and a perforated pouch at the beginning of her intestine. The family claims in their medical malpractice lawsuit that it was the surgery performed on the woman that caused such suffering. The woman had entered the hospital for a gall bladder removal. Four months after the surgery she died.

Read more about the medical malpractice allegations here.

Limiting Patient Rights Will Not Lower Healthcare Costs

2009-06-17T04:12:51Z

According to American Association for Justice President Les Weisbrod, limiting patient rights would not lower healthcare costs. The debate over medical malpractice caps comes after a highly publicized speech by President Obama to the American Medical Association where he assured medical malpractice attorneys that he is not supporting caps on such suits but does want to scale back “defensive medicine.”

Read more about the AAJ’s stance on medical malpractice reform here.

Obama Pushes Healthcare Reform

2009-06-16T04:58:39Z

Obama appealed to doctors today at the American Medical Association meeting in Chicago by referencing doctors’ complaints about medical malpractice lawsuits. He stated he wants to “scale back the defensive medicine.” However, Obama did acknowledge that he is not advocating medical malpractice caps on awards to plaintiffs because it would be unfair to those injured. Many critics of medical malpractice reform agree that the biggest sufferers of medical malpractice reform would be those patients injured by such medical malpractice.

Read more about Obama’s medical malpractice proposal here.