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.

Multiple fractures, traumatic brain injury, and significant scarring suffered by a passenger when a church van was struck by an 18-wheeler that crossed the median on I-75 in Florida.

Death of a truck driver crushed by bundles of large plastic PVC piping that fell from his flatbed trailer during unloading by a forklift.

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.

(2020) Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff’s Decedent, a 40-year-old, passed away from non-small cell lung cancer. Two and a half years prior, a cavitary lesion in the left lung had been identified on CT as an incidental finding. A year later, another CT was performed which identified “interval resolution” of the cavitary lesion. Plaintiff contended that this second interpretation was professionally negligent and that in reality, the lesion was larger and more solid in composition as compared to the year prior. Defendant contended that the interpretation was not negligent and further contended that individuals with metastatic disease, due to their genetic makeup, are metastatic years before diagnosis such that earlier diagnosis and treatment would not have changed the outcome. The Decedent is survived by his wife and two children.

M. v. Northwestern Medical Foundation, et al.

On or about 4/20/02 a chest x-ray of the left lung was read by Dr. Wiggins as normal. Dr. Kirby saw something suspicious in the upper left quadrant of the lung and called another radiologist who also read the film as normal. No physician followed up nor advised M., a law professor, of possible abnormalities despite thirteen (13) subsequent visits to Dr. Kirby. On or about April 29, 2003, lung cancer was finally diagnosed from a follow-up x-ray. The lesion grew from one (1) centimeter to 6 x 9 centimeters and metastasized to other parts of her body. She died on April 11, 2004. M. died from the undiagnosed lung cancer with a delay in treatment of over one year. The lung cancer went from non-metastatic and curable to metastatic and non-curable due to the delay.

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.