T. v. SHAW SUBURBAN MEDIA GROUP, INC., etc., et al.

This case involved the trial of a defamation case on behalf of an Illinois Supreme Court Justice. This is the highest defamation verdict and the highest subsequent settlement for a judge in the United States history.

K. v. Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation

On April 27, 2004, K., a 57-year-old medical malpractice defense lawyer with the law firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson, underwent a stress test at an office location near his home. The stress test was ordered by his internist at Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation. The stress test results were faxed and mailed to the Faculty Foundation. However, the test results were not reviewed due to an administrative error and K. was never advised that the results were abnormal and required cardiac catheterization. He experienced sudden cardiac death on August 9, 2004.

Verdict as lead trial counsel on behalf of the wife and children of a 49-year-old man who died as a result of the negligent failure to review his known and documented medical history of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. That negligence resulted in the patient not receiving life-saving anti-coagulants resulting in the gentleman developing a new onset of deep vein thrombosis, experiencing a pulmonary embolism and dying two days later. (2007)

Defense: Denied that standard of care required anticoagulants, denied that patient was at risk of suffering a pulmonary embolism, denied that prescribing anti-coagulants would have made a difference and, and denied degree of loss to family.

VERDICT: $7 Million

Settlement Demand: $3 Million

Settlement Offer: $1.2 Million

Plaintiff was born at 25.5 weeks. At 11 days of life, plaintiff contracted three blood borne infections. Plaintiff deteriorated and ultimately suffered a hypoxic event as a result of the infection. Plaintiff developed periventricular leukomalacia or PVL. Plaintiff alleged that the defendants were negligent in performing the hygiene and sanitary procedures in the NICU unit which led to plaintiff’s infection. Plaintiff further alleged that the defendant Dr. Siddiqui, a neonatologist, and the nursing staff failed to respond timely to identify and treat the infections. Plaintiff alleged that the cause of plaintiff’s PVL was the hypoxic event arising from the infection and not the plaintiff’s prematurity. Plaintiff has been diagnosed with permanent brain damage and requires 24 hour care. Plaintiff’s medical bills to date exceed $1,000,000.00. Defendant contended that the risk of infection is common in neonates, that the PVL was caused by the plaintiff’s prematurity of 25.5 weeks and not the infection and that the plaintiff has a substantially reduced life expectancy.

Medical Malpractice: The Plaintiff, a 66 year-old woman, suffered paraparesis after physicians at an area hospital failed to timely diagnose and treat her rare spinal cord lesion. The defense contended that the delayed diagnosis was inconsequential, because the lesion was in a location that rendered it inoperable.

M.G. v. Austin Tyler Construction Company, Et. Al. (2022)

Joseph Power and James Power secured a $7,000,000.00 settlement on behalf of a young Serbian immigrant working in the United States as a truck driver to earn money to send home to his family back in Serbia. On the date of the incident, M.G. had delivered a load of multiple bundles of 20-foot-long plastic water pipes and was waiting for his truck to finish being unloaded when one of the bundles broke open, causing two full bundles of pipes to fall onto M.G., crushing him and causing his untimely death. Power Rogers, LLP represented M.G.’s mother, sister and younger brother in suing the pipe manufacturer for the way in which the pipe bundles were loaded, the strap manufacturer for creating a product that was not fit for its intended use and the company who employed the forklift operator; each of whom was held to account for their involvement in causing M.G.’s untimely death.

B. vs. Advocate South Suburban Hospital, et al.

Decedent passed away on June 10, 2012, weeks after giving birth at Advocate South Suburban Hospital. Following birth she presented twice to the emergency department at Advocate South Suburban Hospital with complaints of shortness of breath. At both visits she was found to have leg swelling and an elevated blood pressure. The emergency room staff did not contact her obstetrician and she was discharged without diagnosis beyond shortness of breath of unknown etiology after pulmonary embolism was excluded. Urine testing was not done to assess for protein. She had normal blood pressures throughout her pregnancy and labor and delivery. She was experiencing undiagnosed pre-eclampsia that led to eclampsia on June 1, 2012 when she seized. The Decedent was survived by her husband and two children. Co-counsel with Joseph A. Power, Jr.

Plaintiff was a patient at a major research hospital in Cook County where she was hospitalized for an outpatient procedure on her airway. The procedure was uneventful, but later her tracheostomy tube became dislodged and the nursing staff failed to react in a timely fashion. Plaintiff suffered an anoxic event, conscious pain and suffering and subsequently passed away. (2010)

Premises Liability/Trucking: Lead Counsel- Plaintiff sustained significant personal injuries when he was struck as a pedestrian in a parking lot by a commercial trailer. The trailer had separated from a tractor driving across the parking lot and struck plaintiff as he stood faced in the opposite direction placing a package in the trunk of his car. The trailer’s brakes were significantly out of adjustment and were fully defective. Plaintiff suffered multiple significant injuries including a L4-L5 fracture/dislocation which required spinal fusion/instrumentation. (2012)

H. v. Duff 

Child running into street struck by auto which failed to reduce speed to avoid an accident, resulting in brain damage.