Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Four potential medical negligence settlements could cost Cook County taxpayers about $24 million. In the first case, a civil lawsuit filed in a Cook County court alleges that a three-year-old boy sustained extreme brain damage as a result of an elective outpatient surgery performed at Stroger Hospital in December 2011. While in recovery from the operation, the child allegedly suffered cardiac arrest and his pulse stopped for as long as 15 minutes. The lawsuit also alleges that the boy went without oxygen for at least five minutes before medical staff began performing CPR. The child allegedly suffered irreversible and permanent brain damage and will require treatment for the rest of his life.
According to reports, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s Office has recommended the county board agree to what would purportedly be the largest settlement in the history of Cook County. The structured settlement would reportedly be paid out of a self-insurance fund that was created specifically for cases of medical negligence. In addition to the child’s case, the Cook County Board will also be tasked with reviewing three other proposed medical malpractice settlements that supposedly arose at the same hospital.
According to County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, the four medical negligence lawsuits resulted from independent errors and are not part of a larger pattern. Additionally, Suffredin stated Dr. Ramanathan Raju, Head of the Cook County Public Health System, has instituted a new risk-management system that was designed to prevent additional medical mistakes.
Unfortunately, patients of all ages are placed at risk of being injured or killed by the intentional or careless acts of medical providers. Medical negligence results when a surgeon, nurse, dentist, pharmacist, or other health care professional fails to provide his or her patient with the prevailing standard of medical care and the patient suffers an injury as a result of that failure. Sadly, preventable surgical mistakes like the one in this case can potentially cause lifelong damage or tragic death. If you were hurt or a close relative was killed by a physician or other medical provider’s negligent act or omission, you should discuss your case with a skilled medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible.
If you were injured as a result of the quality of care you received at a Chicago area hospital, please call Abels & Annes, P.C. at (312) 924-7575. At Abels & Annes, P.C., our hardworking Chicago Metro medical malpractice attorneys are available to assist you 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Our knowledgeable lawyers are committed to helping injured clients achieve the compensation they deserve following an unexpected injury. To speak with an experienced personal injury attorney today, do not hesitate to contact Abels & Annes, P.C. through the law firm’s website.
Note: Abels & Annes, P.C. does not represent the victims in the above mentioned lawsuits.
More Blogs:
Proposed Federal Law Would Require Data Recorders in All New Vehicles Sold in Illinois and Nationwide, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, February 21, 2013
Orland Park Man Killed in Tragic Carroll County Single-Vehicle Crash, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, February 17, 2013
Additional Resources:
County could pay $24 million to settle medical malpractice cases, by Hal Dardick, Chicago Tribune
$20 million settlement recommended for boy’s brain damage suit against Stroger, by Lisa Donovan, Chicago Sun-Times