Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog

Congressman Murtha’s recent death has raised questions about the complications of gallbladder surgery. Many are left wondering if the influential lawmaker was among nearly 100,000 people who die in U.S. hospitals annually because of medical errors. While Congressmen debate health care on the hill, it is time that they reflect on the death of one of their own. Instead of focusing on issues such as tort reform, it is necessary that they look more closely at how to prevent medical error.

The Washington Post found reported that Murtha had elective laparoscopic gallbladder surgery preformed at the Bethesda Naval Hospital and fell ill shortly afterwards from an infection that has been related to the procedure. Studies have found that the mortality rates for gallbladder surgery is quite low, ranging from .7-2% even in the elderly. So we are left with the question of whether Murtha was an unlucky patient or whether he is yet another victim of medical error. Some argue that a two minute checklist could decrease the death rate. Since Bethesda Naval Hospital is a government institution, organizations that work to prevent medical mistakes cannot confirm whether they do use such a checklist.

The Chicago medical malpractice attorneys at Levin & Perconti support the use of checklists to promote communication between hospital staffers. They believe that this is one step that a hospital can take in lower the death toll that occurs every year from medical error. If you believe that you are a victim of such a medical error, please consult a Chicago medical malpractice attorney. To read more about the devastating lost of Congressman Murtha, please click the link.

The family of a 6-year-old boy who wrongfully died after he was struck in the head by an oxygen tank reached a $2.9 million settlement with the hospital. The boy was lying in an MRI chamber when the machine’s magnets pulled in a metal tank that a staff member had brought into the MRI’s magnetic field. The victim’s family then filed a medical malpractice lawsuit. This death is one of the 98,000 deaths that occur due to medical error. To learn more about the medical error, please click the link.

A doctor who specializes in pain and addition is facing a wrongful death lawsuit. This lawsuit was filed by the family of a former patient who state that the victim became addicted to drugs while under the doctor’s care before he committed suicide. The medical malpractice lawsuit states that the doctor turned the victim into a drug addict through a regular regimen of addictive painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs. The 30-year-old then killed himself with an overdose of pills prescribed from the pain clinic where the doctor works. The victim first sought out the doctor for back pain and was prescribed oxycodone months before the MRI confirmed an injury. The doctor never referred the victim to a drug addiction specialist. The doctor actually specializes in urology despite his advertisements which state that he works in pain and addiction. The doctor’s deception could lead to medical malpractice. To learn more about the wrongful death lawsuit, please click the link.

A jury has returned a $20 million verdict in an anesthesia medical malpractice lawsuit filed by the family of a woman who died during surgery when bile entered her lungs. The wrongful death lawsuit alleged that the anesthetists failed to identify that the victim had risk factors for breathing fluid into her lungs, despite the information being available in her medical record. The victim was preparing to receive exploratory surgery to determine the cause of severe stomach pains when she received the anesthesia. Once anesthetized, she began breathing bile into her lungs. She then later died. The victim’s family alleged that the defendants did not examine the victim’s abdomen or medical records before giving her anesthesia. If they had examined the patient they could have prevented her wrongful death. The jury awarded $20 million in favor of the plaintiff. Anesthesia deaths accounted for more than 2,200 deaths between 1999 and 2005. A little over 46% of those deaths are due to anesthesia overdose. To read more about the jury verdict, please click the link.

The husband of a woman who died at a Long Island Hospital due to a misdiagnosed brain hemorrhage has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital and doctors who failed to properly treat her. The wrongful death lawsuit alleges that doctors failed to properly diagnose the victim’s brain hemorrhage which lead to her death. The victim was admitted to the hospital after complaining of vomiting and gastrointestinal pain, as well as a painful headache and pain in her left eye. The medical malpractice complaint stated that the victim had a history of ulcerative colitis. Usually a computed tomography (CT) scan will confirm a brain hemorrhage. If a brain hemorrhage is diagnosed properly, it can often by treated by radiology or microsurgical procedures. Since doctors did not perform these tests, their medical error led to the patient’s death. To examine the wrongful death suit more closely, please click the link.

The family of a 62-year-old woman who died is suing a hospital and her doctor for their roles in her death. The woman went to the hospital suffering from headache and shortness of breath. She was not admitted to the hospital for further treatment and was discharged. The medical malpractice lawsuit claims that the doctor and his staff failed to diagnose the cardiac arrest and chronic heart failure. The woman died the day she was discharged. The plaintiff is asking for more than $25,000 in damages with interest for the medical malpractice. This wrongful-death lawsuit was the first for the hospital. To explore the medical malpractice lawsuit in depth, please click the link.

The sister of a deceased woman is suing Northwestern Memorial Hospital on behalf of the victim after the woman committed suicide while in the hospital’s care. According to the medical malpractice suit filed in Cook County, Northwestern should have recognized the late patient’s risk for self-injury and suicide since she was admitted into the hospital’s care after a suicide attempt. The lawsuit states that the hospital was negligent in leaving the victim, who expressed regret that her attempt at suicide has been unsuccessful, unsupervised and alone in a room with the means and opportunity to commit suicide. The family is asking for pecuniary damages exceeding $50,000. The medical malpractice lawsuit claims two counts of wrongful death and survival. Visit WBBM to learn more about the medical malpractice suit.

The husband and estate of a woman who developed blood clots and died shortly after undergoing outpatient knee surgery have been awarded more than $6 million in a medical malpractice trial. The 42-year-old victim was referred by her primary care physician at an Army hospital to an orthopedic surgeon to investigate complaints of worsening pain in her left knee. The surgeon gave the victim an injection for the pain and ordered physical therapy. During a follow-up visit the doctor ordered an MRI to determine whether the victim might have a tear in the cartilage of her knee. The MRI indicated a “cartilaginous loose body” behind the victim’s knee and she underwent less than an hour of arthroscopic surgery at the hospital. She went home that day. The next day the victim’s daughter came into check on her and found her dead on the bathroom floor. An autopsy revealed that deep venous thromboids had formed at site of the surgery and had traveled to the lung causing a pulmonary embolism. The couple had just retired from the Army and was excited to start traveling. The trial documents stated that the doctor ignored several risk factors that should have indicated blood clotting could be a problem. The doctor did not appreciate risk factors such as obesity, birth control pills and hypertension. By not appreciating these risk factors, the doctor committed medical malpractice. During the one-week trial it became evident that the doctor did not observe post-surgery precautions. This could have prevented the wrongful death. To read more about the medical malpractice trial, please click the link.

Medical malpractice attorneys for the family of the nurse who died after liposuction treatment at a tanning salon said her medical records show that she could have been given too high a dosage of drugs. The 37-year-old slipped into a coma and was declared brain-dead after a doctor performed the procedure at a Medspa. She was removed from life support and died. The lawyers have said that they will file a medical malpractice lawsuit against both the doctor and the Medspa. The medical experts reviewed the records and determined that the victim had been given too high a dose of the local anesthetic lidocaine. The victims also criticized the doctor for using Propofol which is the same anesthetic thought to have contributed to the death of Michael Jackson. They argue that this type of drug should not be administered in a tanning salon. To read more about the tanning salon death, please click the link.

Serious safety issues continue to plague an Illinois Veterans Affairs hospital. This comes even after major surgeries were suspended two years ago because of a spike in patient deaths. Surgeons at the medical center in Marion, Illinois performed procedures without proper authorization. Also, patient deaths were not assessed adequately and miscommunication between staff members persist. The medical center’s is not taking the corrective actions to improve patient care. The hospital has been under intense scrutiny since 2007 when a former surgeon resigned after a patient bled to death following gall bladder surgery. The VA found at least nine deaths between October 2006 and March 2007 which were the result of substandard care at the hospital. Additionally, a report found that the hospital did not sufficiently monitor 87 percent of the physician’s employed. There were strong problems with infection control, including MRSA. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin is outraged by the substandard care that is occurring at the Veteran’s Hospital. To read more about the medical malpractice, please click the link.

A woman is suing a hospital and two physicians for negligence and wrongful death after a hospital failed to diagnose a cancerous nodule. The man was given diagnostics tests, including a CT scan of his chest, which revealed a nodule on his lung that should have been considered malignant, but was considered to be negative. The man was discharged from the hospital unaware of the fact that he had a malignant nodule on his lung. Following his discharge, the man was admitted to the hospital again for experiencing extreme pain in multiple areas his body and it was then discovered that he was suffering from metastatic lung disease. The cancer had already spread to his bones. The man claims that the negligence and carelessness of the hospital caused a significant delay in the victim’s treatment. The surviving relatives are suing for medical malpractice and wrongful death damages. To read more about the misdiagnosis, please click the link.

The family of an 86-year-old woman who died after she fell from an operating table following a hip surgery has settled a wrongful death lawsuit with a medical settlement. The medical malpractice settlement halted a trial that was set to begin. The hospital agreed to pay $900,000 in the settlement. The woman died seven days after she suffered a massive head injury in a fall in the operating room as she was being prepared to transfer to her hospital bed. The hospital fall fractured her skull and caused severe internal bleeding. The family filed a wrongful death lawsuit, contending that staff in the operating room was too busy and preoccupied and delivered substandard care to the victim, which caused her to fall. The family also contended that the hospital was insensitive, first informing them that the hip surgery had gone well before telling them of the serious head injury. To read more about the wrongful death lawsuit, please click the link.

An autistic young man, who was unable to speak, entered a Children’s hospital for some routine dental work. The hospital made the reckless medical error of using a painkiller-laced patch though his procedure. This type of patch is usually only meant to ameliorate chronic pain in cancer patients and others. The victim was discharged and found dead in his bed the following morning. The medical examiner stated that he had died from a drug overdose caused by the fentanyl patch. This family alleges he should have never even been given the fentanyl patch, nevertheless the highest dose available. The hospital has already admitted they committed medical error in prescribing the drug to the young man. The drug now requires a pain-management specialist’s sign off before it is administered. According to the Federal Drug Administration, wrong prescription of the fentanyl patch has become a persistent problem across the country during recent years, leading to numerous reports of death and life-threatening injuries. The report shows that doctors have inappropriately prescribed the fentanyl patch to patients for acute pain following surgery, for headaches, occasional or mild pain, when it should not be prescribed. The family feels a great deal of remorse considering the egregioius and preventable mistake that caused their son’s death. If you or a loved one has been wrongly prescribed fentanyl, please consult an Illinois lawyer. To read more about the wrongful death, please click the link.

The trial is set to begin in a medical malpractice lawsuit stemming from the death of a University of Pennsylvania sophomore two years ago. The 19-year-old victim died in September of 2007. Her family is claiming that the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania was medically negligent in performing a lumbar puncture on a patient with brain swelling. Her brain ended up herniated and she wrongfully died. The hospital alleges no medical error, stating that the spinal tap is common for meningitis. This victim is an example of one of the 98,000 people who die each year from medical error. To read more about the wrongful death, please click the link.

A jury awarded the survivors of a deceased farm worker $3.7 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit. The man died January 1, 2004, after contracting blastomycosis, a fungal infection often transmitted through water or soil. The man had visited a medical center twice in December of 2003 complaining of illness. The man was seen by physician assistants who determined he had pneumonia. The health care center failed to run basic diagnostic tests, including X-rays. He was admitted to a hospital on December 23, 2003 and diagnosed with blastyomycosis, but it was too late to save his life. The jury found that the health system and the doctor who was responsible for overseeing the physician assistant were medically negligent. Unfortunately, the award will be reduced because the state has medical malpractice caps. To read more about the medical error, please click the link.

The federal government has agreed to pay $450,000 to settle a medical malpractice case filed by the family of a woman who died at a Naval Medical Center after a routine surgery to remove an infected boil. The federal government admitted no wrongdoing in the medical malpractice settlement. The woman died after anesthesiologist failed to intubate her after the surgery. Her airway became obstructed and she stopped breathing, causing cardiac arrest. According to the medical malpractice complaint, the victim was being treated at a hospital for an infected boil and when it worsened they determined emergency surgery was necessary. The surgery was successful but the victim was left without a breathing tube for at least 15 minutes while being transferred from the operating room to the intensive care unit. The anesthesiologist should have known that the woman had other medical issues, which included diabetes, and but a breathing tube in place. When she finally arrived in the ICU she had no pulse or blood pressure. This victim represents one of the 98,000 people who die annually from medical mistake. To read more about the medical mistake, please click the link.

The family of a high school senior who died in connection to a surgery 18 months ago is suing the surgeon and anesthesiologist who preformed the corrective procedure. The young woman experienced a reaction to the anesthesia known as malignant hypothermia while undergoing surgery to rearrange asymmetrical breasts. The medical malpractice lawsuit alleges that the victim’s surgeon and anesthesiologist were negligent in failing to diagnose their patient’s condition and denying her care. Experts have said that the intravenous muscle relaxant called Dantrolene sodium can be administered to counteract the effects of the malignant hypothermia. The patient’s mother told Avvo that “People survive malignant hypothermia episodes if treated quickly and properly.” This could account for one of the 98,000 people that die from medical mistakes each year. To read more about the medical error, please click the link.

The children of a retired police lieutenant believe that there father was a victim of medical error after he was rushed to the emergency room. Fox40 stated that the children believe that the doctor abandoned his efforts to resuscitate the police officer and then surreptitiously removed the victims watch and put it in his pocket. According to the medical malpractice lawsuit, two witnesses noticed that the watch went missing from the victim’s wrist and then saw a bulge in the doctor’s pocket. Despite efforts from security, the doctor was able to leave the hospital with the patient’s wristwatch. The family’s greatest fear is that the doctor allowed the wrongful death. The doctor was released from the hospital after the medical error. To read more about the medical malpractice, please click the link.

A southern Illinois woman died after being severely burned in a flash fire while undergoing surgery. This has become a rare but vexing medical error in operating rooms. The victim died six days after being burned on the operating table at the hospital. The victim’s attorney had requested medical records from the hospital and that he had few details about what happened. The state medical examiner’s office said the victim died from complications of thermal burns and classified her death as accidental. The hospital only stated that there was an accidental flash fire in one of the hospital’s operating rooms injuring a patient before being immediately extinguished. The hospital could not state how the fire started but that it responded with necessary and appropriate measures. Surgical flash fires oftentimes are sparked by electric surgical tools when oxygen builds up under surgical drapes. The fires actually occur an estimated 550 to 600 times a year but only kill about one or two people each year. However, worries have mounted in recent years with increased use of electrosurgical devices and the replacement of cloth hospital drapes with those made of more-flammable, disposable synthetic fabric. To read more about the surgical fire, please click the link.

A man that died during a liver transplant has led medical professionals to improve the safety of such surgeries. After the man’s death, the hospital was fined. The hospital ended up suspending any other similar surgery from being performed. It also settled a wrongful death medical malpractice suit with the patient’s widow. His widow then went on to lead the state in changing their health standards for living transplants that swept the nation.

Read more about the health care standards for living donors here.