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$47.5 Million Recovered For Four-Year-Old Victim of Medical Malpractice

On Behalf of | May 3, 2017 | Medical Malpractice

Attorney Devon Bruce, a partner at Power Rogers, recently obtained $47.5 million for a four-year-old boy who required multiple amputations after his bacterial infection was left undiagnosed and untreated by medical professionals for more than 32 hours.

The plaintiff was two years old at the time the medical malpractice occurred.

According to court documents, the plaintiff suffered a small laceration above his elbow while jumping into a pool on Labor Day weekend in 2014. The day after his injury, the plaintiff reportedly slept more than normal and was noticeably tired. The day after that, he was taken to a pediatrician by his mother, who after a brief examination said that the plaintiff likely had a bacterial infection and that the plaintiff needed IV antibiotics, and sent the plaintiff to a hospital.

His mother then took him to a community hospital where he was evaluated in the emergency room and admitted with symptoms including tachycardia, lethargy, listlessness and nausea. During his deposition, the pediatric emergency room physician admitted that the plaintiff was displaying multiple clinical symptoms and signs of sepsis during his evaluation, including an elevated respiratory rate, listlessness, an elevated heart rate and an elevated temperature.

While in the emergency room, a CBC blood sample was ordered. The results came back as inconclusive. The healthcare providers decided not re-order the test. The plaintiff was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of rotavirus or gastroenteritis, and was not treated for the previously suspected bacterial infection.

The plaintiff’s symptoms continued through the following day, and soon after he was admitted a stool culture came back from the lab showing that he did not have a rotavirus. He was tachycardic throughout the entire day and into the next – he was an in-patient in the hospital for around 32 hours before another diagnosis was made.

A medical professional first diagnosed the possible bacterial infection at about 9 p.m. on the second day and ordered antibiotics 15 minutes later, but it took around three hours for the antibiotics to be administered. He was eventually rushed to a Chicago research hospital where he was ultimately diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome. As a result of the progression of the infection, the plaintiff had to undergo the following amputations:

-All fingers on his right hand at the first knuckle.

-Left hand.

-Both legs below the knees.

We are proud of the work Mr. Bruce did to secure the largest recorded settlement in Cook County history for any medical malpractice action. If you are interested in discussing your case with one of our attorneys here at Power Rogers, give us a call at 312-500-1792 or send us your information through our online form to start out with a free case evaluation today.