Larry R. Rogers Sr.

Medical Malpractice/Brain Injury: This case involved the failure to properly give oxygen or intubate and give oxygen to a 54-year-old-lady undergoing a bronchoscopic procedure and biopsy for possible tuberculosis which resulted in brain damage. This is the largest medical malpractice verdict in the history of the State of Illinois. Additionally, the loss of consortium of $15,000,000.00 to the husband is also the largest such award in the history of Illinois for that type of damage.

JURY VERDICT: $55,439,269.59

Offer prior to trial: $ 10,500,000.00

Offer prior to verdict: $ 13,500,000.00

M.M. v. Allied Barton

The Plaintiffs worked for a law firm in the large office building located at 500 West Madison Street. Allied Barton provided Security Services to the building. On December 8, 2006, a former client of the firm’ sentered the 500 West Madison office building armed with a revolver, chain, padlock, hunting knife, and hammer in order to seek out and kill one of the attorneys who he mistakenly believed had wronged him. After loitering in the building’s lobby and being turned away by the security desk, the former client was permitted access to the law firm, located on an upper-level floor, by Allied Barton security. Once he had gained access to the law firm, he shot and killed three individuals and injured the fourth. Joseph A. Power, Jr. represented the Estate of M.M. and recovered $14.6 million for his client. Larry R. Rogers, Jr. represented the Estate of A.H. and secured an $11 million verdict for his client. James Power represented R.L. and secured a $5 million verdict.

D. and S. v. Syntex

(1985) Product liability. Two minor plaintiffs fed infant formula, Neo-Mull-Soy, which was deficient in chloride, a required nutrient. They both suffered brain injury resulting in learning disabilities.

Y.D. v. A Local Academic Medical Center, No. 2020L009452 (Cook County)
(2024) Medical Malpractice: Mom presented to a Local Academic Medical Center for a scheduled induction at 38 weeks due to gestational diabetes. She has a history of a prior c-section and a subsequent vaginal delivery. The effort was again made to have mom deliver by vaginal birth after c-section for this pregnancy. Following Pitocin administration and clear amniotic fluid at rupture, Plaintiffs alleged fetal heart tracing changes occurred, which were not properly responded to by in-utero resuscitation of the fetus which should have included Pitocin cessation. The fetal heart tracings worsened and never improved. Fetal tachycardia and variable decelerations persisted without adjustment of Pitocin. Category II tracings progressed to Category III and ultimately a baby boy was born with Apgar’s of 0,0,3,3, and 3 and cord gases that were compatible with acute total asphyxia. The failure to timely deliver caused respiratory failure encephalopathy and severe neurologic injuries. Plaintiffs alleged this was avoidable with earlier delivery and proper care and treatment. Co-counsel with Joseph W. Balesteri.

Result: $23,000,000.00

Jury Verdict: $27,000,000.00

Reduced on Post-Trial

Motion by Trial Judge: $8,000,000.00

Offer Before Trial: $300,000.00

D. v. Nettleton Specialized Carriers, Inc. (Co-Counsel)

(2011) Trucking. The Plaintiff was stopped at the Edens spur ramp at the beginning of a construction zone back-up of the Edens expressway. He was rear-ended by a tractor trailer owned by the Defendants and operated by an employee and/or agent of the Defendants who was traveling at least 65 mph. The driver testified he applied his brakes prior to the collision, but did not have time to stop. He claimed he had just exited a curve. The collision occurred after 3,000 feet of a straight roadway near the tail-end of the Edens spur. Plaintiff sustained a C5-C6 tetraplegic injury.

R. v. Trinity Hospital

Birth Injury/Medical Malpractice: Decedent was admitted to Trinity Hospital on February 8, 1998 at approximately 5:30 a.m. at term. She was given an epidural anesthetic at approximately 6:49 a.m. when her blood pressure dropped into the 70s and then into the 50s. Fetal bradycardia was shortly thereafter detected on the fetal monitor and Decedent was place in Trendelenberg position. Dr. Jiha, the attending anesthesiologist, was paged at approximately 7:30 a.m. for low blood pressure. The nurse anesthetist continued to administer fluids including Ephedrine in order to correct the hypotension. A house doctor and obstetrician,Dr. Moreland, was called because of the fetal bradycardia on the monitor but she determined that a cesarean section was not necessary. Thereafter Decedent complained of being dizzy, vomited several times, became confused and cyanotic. At 7:45 a.m. Decedent’s blood pressure again dropped into the 70s and more fluids, including the Ephedrine, were given.

According to Plaintiff’s experts Decedent’s blood pressures were abnormal for almost two hours. According to Plaintiff’s experts intubation was required much earlier and her oxygen status should have been monitored more closely. Additionally, earlier intubation was required and her oxygen status should have been monitored more closely along with a cesarean section operation at least an hour earlier. Decedent died after being in a coma for twelve weeks and her son was left permanently brain damaged and unable to care for himself.

The case for the disabled minor son settled for $11,250,000.00 and the wrongful death action for his mother settled for $10,025,000.00.

R. v. Trinity Hospital

This case involved a pregnant mother who presented to Trinity Hospital shortly after midnight on January 1, 1995, with an elevated systolic blood pressure, edema and protein in her urine. The nurses as well as the physician, Dr. Everett A. White, failed to diagnose preeclampsia according to plaintiffs’ experts. At the time of her presentation to Trinity, the plaintiff’s mother was 37 weeks pregnant and in labor. She labored from approximately midnight on

January 1st until 12:45 p.m. when she had an eclamptic seizure. Her child, R., was delivered at 1:19 p.m. with very low APGARS and a cord blood gas indicating she suffered from hypoxia and ischemia. She remained depressed for approximately thirty-six more minutes due to the failure to adequately resuscitate her. As a result, R. sustained brain damage and is currently institutionalized.

The defendants denied that they were negligent, denied that R.’s mother was preeclamptic and instead have suggested she suffered a seizure as a result of an enterovirus which they claimed was found in the placenta. The defense alleged this enterovirus attacks newborns and, in fact, was responsible for aseptic meningitis evidenced by elevated white blood cell count in the cerebral spinal fluid of R. as well as abnormalities in the placenta. It was the defendants’ position that this enterovirus was the sole proximate cause of R.’s problem and was untreatable.

P. v. NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, et al.

The defendants allegedly hyperstimulated a pregnant woman’s uterus with labor-inducing medication and failed to recognize signs and symptoms of fetal distress, causing the woman’s newborn girl to suffer brain damage due to an inadequate flow of oxygen and blood to the brain, resulting in cerebral palsy.

D. v. UHS of Bethesda, Inc., et al.

A 29-year-old employee of UHS of Bethesda, Inc. a/k/a Mount Sinai Hospital-North, was diagnosed as having migraine headaches and returned to work by a physician who examined him at the hospital on two separate occasions. A week after the last visit he had suffered a thrombosis which resulted in a stroke and left sided hemiplegia from polycythemia rubra vera which went undiagnosed. The jury found the defendants negligent for not performing a CBC on either visit which would have led to the diagnosis and that the physician was an agent of the hospital. This is the highest personal injury verdict in Illinois for 1995.

Jury Verdict: $11,962,390.00

Offer before trial: $1,000,000.00

Offer during trial: $1,600,000.00

C. v. Union Pacific Railroad Co., et al.

Trucking: A 71 year old African-American man was injured on July 25, 1995 when a semi-tractor trailer owned by Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad Co. pulled from a stop sign at a T-intersection in Northlake in front of a truck traveling eastbound in which plaintiff was a passenger. He suffered a spinal cord injury which left him with incomplete paralysis in his arms and legs.

Jury Verdict: $10,430,617.92

Offer before trial: $1,600,000.00

Calbert v. Advocate Healthcare, et al

Medical malpractice verdict. Our client, C. Calbert, visited Advocate South Suburban Hospital because he had diarrhea for several days. Eleven days later, he was taken into surgery. To compensate for the drop in blood pressure he was experiencing, the patient was administered Levophed, a vasopressor medication. After surgery, he was instructed to slowly be taken off Levophed and switched to Neosynephrine, but only if his blood pressure dropped below 100. According to the plaintiffs, in the days immediately following his surgery, the ICU nurses did not perform the necessary testing on the arterial line – the line being used to monitor blood pressure. Because they were not testing the correct lien, there was a false read of low blood pressure. Because they detected low blood pressure, the staff gave the patient maximum doses of vasopressors, which he did not actually need. The overdose ultimately caused ischemia that necessitating amputation of his left arm and all of his toes.

Co-counsel with Larry R. Rogers, Sr., and Larry R. Rogers, Jr.

C., et al v. Transport Carriers, Inc., et al.

Trucking/Wrongful Death: The accident involved an International tractor which lost control on the ramp exiting the Chicago Skyway leading to the Day Ryan on July 1, 1999. The International tractor was being driven by Jesse Blackmon of Transport Carriers, Inc. After Mr. Blackmon lost control on the ramp, the Nissan Van being operated by plaintiff, attempted to avoid striking the Blackmon tractor and was rear-ended by a truck operated by Robert Lachowski of American Shipping and Packing. C. was traveling with his wife and children, 9 years old, 3 years old, and 9 months old. C. died as a result of his injuries.

Jury Verdict: $10,400,000.00

Offer before trial: $500,000.00

Offer during trial: $1,700,000.00

(2014) Medical malpractice. On September 4, 2007, Plaintiff presented to Advocate South Suburban Hospital after experiencing several days of diarrhea. He was admitted and taken to surgery on September 15th and during the surgery, he was administered the vasopressor medication Levophed for a drop in his blood pressure. Post-operatively, a consulting cardiologist ordered that the Levophed be weaned off and he be given Neosynephrine if his systolic blood pressure dropped below 100. Plaintiffs maintained that from September 15 – 17, the ICU nursing staff failed to perform dynamic response testing on the arterial line that was being used to evaluate Plaintiff’s blood pressure and as a result it was falsely reading systolic blood pressures below 100 when his true blood pressures were higher. As a result the nursing staff was administering maximum doses of vasopressors when he needed little if any. The excessive vasopressors caused vasoconstriction in his blood vessels and poor perfusion to his extremities causing them to become ischemic from lack of blood flow. As a result of the poor perfusion caused by the vasopressors, Plaintiff ‘s left hand, and the toes on both of his feet became ischemic, necrotic, gangrenous and needed to be amputated. The defense maintained that Plaintiff was a very sick man who was in septic shock with 5 system multi-organ failure and the poor perfusion was the result of a coagulopathy cascade caused by the sepsis and the body’s native shunting of blood to vital organs for survival. The defense maintained that Plaintiff desperately needed the vasopressors to survive his life threatening condition and but for the high doses of vasopressors, he would have died.

G. v. West Suburban Hospital, et al.

(2006) Medical malpractice/Birth Injury. T.G. was admitted to the hospital and medical personnel attached a fetal monitor and started induction of labor with Pitocin on October 22, 2001 because she was pre-eclamptic. T.G. began dilating in the early hours of October 23, 2001 and had an epidural administered. Tanisha was fully dilated at approximately 10 p.m. on 10/23/01, began pushing, after hours of inadequate progress of labor a C-section was done at 2:51 a.m. on October 24, 2001. During labor episodes of hyper-stimulation of the uterus occurred and decelerations of fetal heart tones. The fetal monitor also malfunctioned and failed to accurately record contractions. During T.G.=s labor, her fetal heart rate monitoring tracings revealed signs of and were consistent with fetal stress and/or distress. Drs. Lopez, Smith, Tarpey and Macumber failed to recognize the significance of changes in the fetal heart rate as evidenced on the fetal monitor strips from October 23rd through October 24th 2001. D.G. was delivered by emergency caesarean section on October 24, 2001. Upon birth, D.G. was not breathing and depressed and shortly after birth transferred to Children=s Memorial Hospital where she was diagnosed with severe cerebral palsy, spastic quadriplegia and seizure disorder.

G. v. Skokie Valley Community Hospital

After sustaining numerous injuries in a motorcycle accident, including a C-2 “hangman’s” fracture and bruising of his spinal cord, student ended up paralyzed as a result of the failure to adequately replace his blood lost in the accident and appropriately intubate him.

Affirmed on Appeal 91-1742, 269 Ill.App.3d 37, 645 N.E.2d 319 (1994)

Jury Verdict: $7,012,000.00

B. v. Unnamed hospital

(2005) Medical malpractice. An 8 1/2-year-old boy suffers cardio pulmonary arrest in the operative suit during a tendon release procedures resulting in braining damage. Prior to the procedure, the minor plaintiff was severely mentally disabled.

P. v. WGN Broadcasting Company

(1999) Auto Accident. P. was a 50 year old passenger in a vehicle struck by a WGN satellite antenna van which ran a red light. P. suffered chest trauma and while undergoing an angiogram procedure, he suffered a stroke and cardiac arrest. He was left with partial paralysis on the left side of his body.

T. v. Swedish American Hospital, et al.

(2003) Medical Malpractice. The case involved injury to T. who was 18 months old on December 21, 1993 when she underwent a cardiac muscle biopsy that was performed by Dr. Bruce Hecht at Swedish American Hospital in Rockford, Illinois. As a result of the biopsy, T. suffered cardiac arrest leading to hypoxic-ischemic encelphalopathy. The settlement represents a record high settlement in Winnebago County.

H. v. Sinclair Cartage, Inc., et al.

(2007) Automobile/Truck. H., a Protected Person who suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of a motor vehicle accident. The accident which occurred on April 19, 2006 involved a tractor trailer, driven by Daniel Jorgensen who was employed by Sinclair Cartage, who struck H.’s vehicle at 4th and Virginia Avenue in Gary, Indiana.

G. v. 69 West Washington Management Company, LLC, et al.

(2008) Premises. This matter arises out of the October 17, 2003 fire at the Cook County Administration building, 69 West Washington. It is one of the 22 lawsuits filed as a result the tragic incident. G. sustained injuries of based on the distress she experienced as a result of being trapped in a stairwell of the building and eventually passing out due to smoke inhalation.

N.W. v. Advocate (2015 – Cook County)

The Plaintiff’s Decedent presented to the Defendant hospital in the early morning complaining of a sickle cell crisis. Plaintiff alleged that due to a failure to properly and timely monitor and treat Plaintiff’s Decedent over the next 36 hours, the Decedent developed acute chest syndrome, which caused her death. Defendants claimed that the Decedent’s acute chest syndrome developed rapidly due to a fat embolism, and that intervention would not have prevented her death.

H. v. Galen Hospital, et al.

(2002) Medical Malpractice/Wrongful Death. H. was 17 years old at the time of her death, she left surviving one daughter who was 2 months old at the time of her death. Dr. Rajasekhar, who was a general pediatrician, was negligent and deviated from the standard of care in failing to treat H. for Long Q.T. Syndrome. Dr. Rajasekhar first treated H. in March of 1989. She continued to treat her until the time of her death on December 15, 1990. Specifically, Dr. Rajasekhar failed to treat H. for the cardiac condition, Long Q.T. Syndrome. Dr. Rajasekhar failed to prescribe and maintain Lakisha on anti-arrhythmic medication; failed to hospitalize H. for her cardiac condition; and failed to order timely and appropriate diagnostic studies. It should be noted that Dr. Rajasekhar knew that H.’s elder brother died on December 15, 1990 of a suspected cardiac condition. Dr. Rajasekhar also treated H.’s younger brother, who passed away on November 6, 1993 at the age of 10.

Case Name not disclosed per order of Court.

(1997) Premises liability. A 35 year old husband and father of one child, died as a result of smoke inhalation in a fire at 6531 S. Lowe Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The fire started in an accumulation of trash in the garbage chute room.

W. v. University of Chicago Hospital

(2010) Medical malpractice/wrongful death. W. was admitted to University of Chicago Hospital with a history of shortness of breath and arterial flutter/fibrillation. He was status post-mitral valve replacement on October 2, 2006 for endocarditis. W. was admitted to a medical floor and medications were ordered to treat his cardiac arrhythmia, W. developed bradycardia and hypotension as a result of the medications ordered to treat his cardiac arrhythmia. As a result of the above treatment, W. arrested, was resuscitated, but arrested again and was unable to be resuscitated and expired.

R. v. Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center

(1991) Medical malpractice. R. suffered hypoxia during delivery which went undetected due to physicians’ failure to properly monitor her mother’s labor. R. suffers from cerebral palsy as a result of the hypoxia.

H.J., Individually and as Special Administrator of the Estate of G.W. v. Feldman, et al, 07 L 14237 (Cook County)

Dental malpractice settlement. On December 17, 2007, G.W., a 46 year old female, went to Defendant Feldman to undergo a root canal. Defendant Feldman gave G.W. intravenous sedation in an excessive amount and failed to monitor G.W. adequately. As a result, G.W. suffered cardiac arrest and subsequently died. G.W. was survived by her son.

Co-counsel with Larry R. Rogers, Sr.

Sandra Hardy, Independent Administrator of the Estate of Johnathon Hardy, Deceased v. Galen Hospital, et al.

(2002) Medical malpractice – Wrongful Death. Johnathon Hardy was 9 years old at the time of his death. Johnathon Hardy had a cardiac condition known as Long Q.T. Syndrome. Johnathon Hardy, as well as his sister, Lakisha Hardy, sought treatment from Dr. Rajasekhar at Humana Health Plan, Inc. Dr. Rajasekhar was the general pediatrician. Dr. Rajasekhar treated Johnathon from April 15, 1990 until the time of his death on November 6, 1993. Dr. Rajasekhar was negligent and deviated from the standard of care in their care and treatment of Johnathon Hardy. Specifically, plaintiffs allege that defendant Dr. Rajasekhar failed to prescribe and maintain Johnathon Hardy on anti-arrhythmic medications; failed to hospitalize him; and failed to order timely and appropriate diagnostic studies.

LaDonna C.Foster, Adm. of the Estate of Yvette Foster, etc., et al. V. East Lake Corporation, et al.

(2000) Premise liability. This case involves a 47-year-old- mother, Yvonne Foster, who died as a result of injuries suffered at the East Lake Housing Development at 3555 S. Cottage Grove in Chicago. Ms. Foster left surviving her four children, Gregory, LaDonna, Alex Jr., who were adults, and Linda, her 11-year-old minor. The complaint alleged that the fire alarm system failed to operate throughout the building and that fire hoses in some stairwells were inoperable

Irnell Mickey as Special Administrator of the Estate of Natasha Mickey, dec=d. and as Special Administrator of the Estate of Sasha Mickey, dec=d. v. Imre Hidvegi, M.D., et al

(2007) Medical Malpractice. This case involves an 8-month pregnant mother, Natasha Mickey, who was being treated by Drs. Hidvegi and Faikpui at Lincoln Medical Center for prenantal care. During the court of her pregnancy, she develo9ped several urinary tract infections and pyelonephritis. Ultimately, the infections worsened, Natasha went into cardiac arrest at home on the morning of August 11, 2001 and was transported to Ingalls Memorial Hospital where an emergency Cesarean section was performed post-mortem. the infant, Sasha Mickey, was resuscitated following delivery and was transferred to Northwestern memorial Hospital where she died on August 13, 1999. An autopsy was done on Natasha and the conclusion was acute pyelonephritis was the cause of her death.

Alma Smith, as Special Administrator of the Estate of Ronald Mahone, deceased V. Carpentersville Quarry, et al.

(2006) Motor vehicle – Wrongful Death. Ronald Mahone (the decedent) single with no dependents was employed as a postal worker and working at the time of this occurrence, when he exited a store and was struck by an illegally parked van when it was struck by a cement truck driven by defendant, Krista Patterson, working for PF Materials/Action Concrete & Supply and Carpentersville Quarry.

D.F., as Special Administrator of the Estate of E.F., Deceased v. Fransciscan Alliance d/b/a St. James Hospital, et al.

(2015) Medical Malpractice—wrongful death. Defts allegedly failed to properly and timely address the risk of patient M-56 developing deep vein thrombosis due to his inactivity and other factors during his hospitalization for treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis, acute renal insufficiency, and hyperkalemia. As a result, he suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism while preparing for discharge home on October 8, 2010. He is survived by his wife and three adult daughters.

Phoebe Joseph, Special Administrator of the Estate of Henry Joseph v. Voest-Alpine, et al., Hammond, Indiana

(1996) Product liability – Wrongful death. Henry Joseph was a 61 year old worker for the U.S. Steel plant – Gary Works, Indiana operating a continuous caster manufactured by defendant, Voest-Alpine. A 235 ton ladle of molten steel erupted showering him with molten steel causing his death. The continuous caster lacked overhead protection to prevent molten steel from coming in contact with workers such as Mr. Joseph in the event an eruption occurred. Mr. Joseph was survived by his 59 year old wife, Phoebe Joseph.

Jury Verdict: $3,000,000.00

Offer Before Trial: $ 150,000.00

Darien Bass V. Cook County Hospital, et al.

(2000) Medical malpractice. Mr. Bass suffered a subdural hematoma after falling from a gurney while a patient at Cook County Hospital.

Estates of Peggy Stallworth and Angela Stallworth V. Village of Worth

(2002) Motor vehicle – Wrongful Death. Peggy Taylor and Angela Stallworth were killed when their automobile was struck by an automobile driven by Earl G. Johnson. At the time of the collision, the automobile driven by Earl G. Johnson was in the process of fleeing several marked and unmarked police vehicles from the Villages of Oak Lawn, Chicago Ridges, and Worth. The vehicle pursuit was initiated by Detective Martin Knolmayer in the Village of Worth. While attempting to elude the police vehicles, the automobile driven by Earl G. Johnson collided with the Decedents= automobile. The case is significant because the eluding vehicle in a police pursuit struck and caused the injuries to plaintiff where summary judgment had always been granted and affirmed on appeal when the accident was caused by the eluding vehicle and not the police vehicle.

P.T. v. Hirota, et al, 08 L 004492

Motor Vehicle negligence settlement. On January 22, 2008, the Plaintiff, P.T., was a 47 year old female who was driving eastbound on Dundee Road in Arlington Heights, Illinois proceeding through the intersection of Dundee Road and Wilke Road when the Defendant, S.H., turned left from westbound Dundee Road and struck the Plaintiff’s vehicle. The Plaintiff sustained right tibia and fibula fractures requiring an open reduction internal fixation.

Co-counsel with Larry R. Rogers, Sr.