$11.88 Million Jury Verdict for the Negligent Recommendation of a Total Knee Replacement

Matthew Standley had a history of osteomyelitis, bone disease or bone infection, 14 knee surgeries, and numerous skin grafts and muscle harvests. When he experienced pain in his left knee, he consulted osteopathic orthopedic surgeon Dr. Melvyn Rech. Several weeks later, Dr. Rech performed a left knee arthroscopy, meniscectomy, a chondroplasty, and hardware removal.

Several months after these procedures, Dr. Rech performed a total knee replacement.

At Standley’s post-operative evaluation two weeks after the knee replacement, Dr. Rech prescribed Keflex, an anti-bacterial drug. Within two weeks, Standley went to a hospital emergency room, complaining of severe knee pain and drainage from the surgical site. Dr. Rech did not respond to several nurses’ calls, and Standley, 51, was subsequently admitted for treatment of cellulitis and a possible hardware infection.

Dr. Rech examined Standley the next day and recommended that he be treated on an outpatient basis. Two days later, Standley went to another hospital where he was diagnosed as having an E. coli infection and the bone infection, osteomyelitis. As a result of these complications, Mr. Standley required an above-the-knee amputation of his left leg.

Standley and his wife sued Dr. Rech alleging that he negligently recommended a total knee replacement despite the high risk of severe infection, chose not to order the correct prophylactic antibiotics, and failed to timely respond to the emergency room nurses’ calls.

The lawsuit did not claim lost income. The jury signed a verdict of more than $11.88 million including $1.1 million for loss of consortium to Standley’s wife.

The attorney representing the Standley family was David Sampedro.

Standley v. Rech, No. 16-019088 (Fla. Cir. Ct. Broward County).

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling hospital negligence lawsuits, surgical negligence lawsuits, birth injury lawsuits, orthopedic surgery negligence lawsuits, brain injury lawsuits and medical negligence cases for individuals, families and loved ones who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of the carelessness or negligence of a medical provider for more than 40 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Bensenville, Bolingbrook, Joliet, Waukegan, Cicero, LaGrange Park, North Riverside, Stickney, Bedford Park, Countryside, LaGrange Highlands, Hinsdale, Oakbrook Terrace, Willowbrook, Downers Grove, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, West Chicago, Glendale Heights, Lake Zurich, Chicago (Portage Park, Humboldt Park, Austin, East Garfield Park, Lincoln Park, Uptown, Albany Park, West Ridge, West Rogers Park, Pulaski Park, Sauganash, Edgebrook, Norwood Park East, North Mayfair, Belmont Gardens, Ukrainian Village, Lower West Side, Bridgeport, Canaryville, Gage Park, Archer Heights), Lyons, Broadview, Brookfield and Maywood, Ill.

Robert D. Kreisman has been an active member of the Illinois and Missouri bars since 1976.