$500,000 Settlement in Nursing Home’s Failure to Follow Physician’s Orders

Ms. Doe was transferred to Roe Nursing Home after suffering fractures from falls. Her doctor’s orders instructed nurses at the nursing home to regularly assess the skin around Ms. Doe’s cast to detect skin breakdown, swelling and changes in color. The nursing home nurses were also instructed to cleanse and apply treatment to Ms. Doe’s leg ulcer each day.

Within two weeks, Ms. Doe was returned to the hospital where she was diagnosed as having a gangrenous wound and maggots crawling out of her cast. Unfortunately, Ms. Doe required an amputation of her right leg.

Ms. Doe sued the nursing home alleging that it had chosen not to comply with her physician’s orders and to provide the needed wound care. The defendant nursing home countered that Ms. Doe’s extreme obesity and uncontrolled diabetes made amputation likely even in the absence of the nursing home’s wrongdoing.

Before trial, the parties settled for $500,000.

The attorneys successfully handling this matter for Ms. Doe were Benjamin T. Ikuta and Michelle B. Hemesath.

Doe v. Roe, Confidential docket.

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling nursing home negligence lawsuits, pressure sore lawsuits, medical negligence cases, wrongful death lawsuits, and birth trauma injury 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 47 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including University Park, Inverness, Flossmoor, Palos Park, Schaumburg, Mundelein, Tinley Park, Orland Park, Chicago (Jefferson Park, Lincoln Park, West Town, Portage Park, Ukrainian Village, Washington Park, South Shore, Lakeview, West Town, Andersonville), Hinsdale, Oakbrook, Schiller Park, and Palatine, Ill.

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