Michael Jacobs, 32, suffered a compression fracture in his back at L1. For that condition he was seen by neurosurgeon Dr. Mudit Sharma, who prescribed pain medicine and a back brace. Jacobs’s condition then improved and he returned to full-time work. At a follow-up appointment, Dr. Sharma told Jacobs that…
Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney Blog
$630,000 Settlement for Damage to Uninjured Left Leg Because of Failure to Timely Reposition Leg During Surgery
Ms. Doe, 33, was injured in a car accident. She underwent leg surgery after the car crash. Her uninjured left leg was kept in the hemilithotomy position for more than six hours. While the injured leg was being repaired, which is held straight in traction, the uninjured leg is positioned…
$5.7 Million Settlement at Mediation for Mother who Suffered Hypoxic Brain Injury After Delivering her Child
Ms. Doe, 17, experienced back and abdominal pain in her 34th week of the pregnancy. She was admitted to a local hospital where her condition deteriorated over the next several days. Ms. Doe was then diagnosed as having sepsis and placed on a ventilator. After giving birth to her daughter,…
Illinois Appellate Court Bars Legal Malpractice Case Because of the Filing Was Beyond the Two Year Statute of Limitations
The Illinois Appellate Court has affirmed a decision of a Cook County circuit court judge dismissing a legal malpractice case because of the running of the statute of limitations barred the plaintiff from filing suit. On Feb. 4, 2005, Rose Anne Godbold underwent a positron emission tomography scan in a…
Illinois Appellate Court Finds That Without an Objection by a Party to the Case Regarding a Jury Question, Any Later Objection Was Waived
Robert Cruz filed a lawsuit alleging medical negligence against Dr. Robert R. Schenk and Hand Surgery Ltd., his medical practice, claiming that Dr. Schenk had chosen not to follow the standard of care. In his lawsuit, Cruz said Dr. Schenk used excessive injections and failed to adequately explore or treat…
Undiagnosed Bowel Obstruction Leads to Death and $2.4 Million Jury Verdict
On March 10, 2007, Ramona Sue Yates was a patient in the emergency room at Memorial Hospital in Carbondale, Ill. She complained of severe back and abdominal pain. The defendant, emergency room physician, Dr. Daniel Doolittle, who was employed by the defendant Legatus Emergency Services, chose not to correctly diagnose…
Epidural Steroid Injection Causes Infection, Chronic Pain and Eventually Suicide
Joel Burnette was just 40 years old with bipolar disorder and other mental health issues. He underwent a lumbar epidural steroid injection at a pain clinic to combat his back pain. The following week Burnette developed a lump at the epidural injection site. Burnette informed nurses at the pain clinic,…
Jury is Deadlocked After Trial in Cardiac Death Claimed Due to Improper Diagnosis and Medication
A jury deliberated 12 hours over two days before it was deadlocked, unable to reach a verdict by unanimous consent. The jury was deadlocked 8-4 or 7-5 in favor of the defendant Dr. Ian J. Goldberg. This case arose out of an April 25, 2009 event, when Michael Knorps experienced…
Doctors Found Negligent for Choosing Not To Timely Address Neurological Emergency
Butch Borden, 51, underwent lower back surgery by neurosurgeon Dr. Tom Staner. While Borden was recuperating, he developed weakness and sensory deficits in his legs. Dr. Staner instructed Borden to go to Brookwood Medical Center, where testing there revealed a small hematoma in the lower back. A hematoma is where…
$640,000 Jury Verdict for Late Diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Linda Lawson, 55, underwent a CT scan of her thoracic spine after she was experiencing leg and lower back pain. The scan was reported as being benign. Lawson’s symptoms continued and she had a lumbar CT scan 2 months later. The results of the CT were again reported by a second…