When We Fight, We Fight To Win

Power Rogers Attorneys Win $10.4M Verdict for Medical Malpractice Victim

On Behalf of | Oct 16, 2015 | Medical Malpractice

After deliberating for just 2.5 hours, a jury returned a $10.4 million verdict for our client, a patient who experienced amputation of their left hand and amputation of toes from both feet due to a medication overdose while in the ICU.

Power Rogers is proud to announce that yesterday, a jury in Cook County returned a $10.425 million verdict for our client against Advocate Health and Hospitals South Suburban Hospital and several of its nurses (C.C. v. Advocate Healthcare, et al., Court No. 09 L 1448).

The jury found that the hospital and some of its nurses were negligent in the administration of vasopressor medications following a surgical procedure to remove the patient’s infected toxic megacolon. The jury found that the medication overdose caused our client to lose his left hand as well as the toes on both of his feet.

Our client initially went to Advocate South Suburban Hospital on September 4, 2007 because for several days, he had been experiencing diarrhea. Eleven days later, he was admitted and taken in for surgery. During surgery, Levophed (a vasopressor medication) was administered for the patient’s blood pressure decline. After surgery, a cardiologist evaluated the patient and recommended that he be weaned off Levophed and given Neosynephrine in the event that his blood pressure dropped under 100.

Attorneys Larry R. Rogers, Sr., Larry R. Rogers, Jr., and Carolyn Daley Scott maintained that from the date of the surgery until September 17, the nurses in Advocate’s ICU failed to perform dynamic response testing on the arterial line that was being used for the patient’s blood pressure reading. Because they failed to test this arterial line, the plaintiffs argued, the test was giving a false reading of blood pressure below 100. In reality, the patient’s blood pressure was much higher.

Our firm held that the patient would have only needed vasopressors if his blood pressure fell below 100. The alleged testing error that caused the blood pressure to appear below 100 prompted the hospital staff to administer vasopressors when the patient needed little, if any.

We believed that, in turn, the vasopressor overdose caused vasoconstriction in the patient’s blood vessels and diminished blood flow to his extremities. The ischemia necessitated amputation of the patient’s left hand and amputation of the toes from both feet.

After deliberating for just 2.5 hours, the jury returned a verdict of $10.425 in favor of our client. Nothing can erase the life-changing injuries that our client suffered, but we are extremely grateful that we were able to obtain such a positive case outcome on his behalf.

Continue reading for more information on our firm’s medical negligence practice or to view a breakdown of the damages awarded.

Damages Breakdown:

  • $2 Million – Disfigurement
  • $1 Million – Loss of Normal Life Experienced
  • $1 Million – Loss of Normal Future
  • $2 Million – Pain and Suffering Experienced
  • $4 Million – Pain and Suffering Future
  • $300,000 – Loss of Earnings
  • $75,000 – Loss of Earnings Future
  • $25,000 – To Plaintiff’s Ex-Wife for Value of Services
  • $25,000 – To Plaintiff’s Ex-Wife for Society, Companionship, and Relations