Wrongful Death/Medical Malpractice: The minor Decedent was born with a congenital heart defect. Plaintiffs allege that the Defendant did not obtain their consent before converting a diagnostic procedure to an interventional procedure and negligently elected to place a plug in an attempt to occlude the minor’s collateral vessel. After failing to obtain total occlusion, the Defendant placed a second, larger Plug and caused perforation of the vessel and for the minor Decedent to exsanguinate and die.

Together with Joseph A. Power, Jr.- On May 13, 2019 at 11:45 am, CW presented to the local academic hospital and was 39.1 weeks pregnant. On May 13, 2019 between 6:24 pm- 6:28 pm, the fetal heart rate monitor on CW demonstrated the fetal heart rate to have moderate variability and no accelerations. On May 13, 2019, and throughout the time CW was on fetal heart monitoring at a major research hospital, the fetal heart tracings were Category II. On May 13, 2019 and after 23:45 hours, the fetal heart tracings continued to show absent accelerations with recurrent late decelerations. On May 14, 2019, the fetal heart tracings continued to show recurrent late decelerations and were absent accelerations. On May 14, 2019, at or before 4:24 am, the fetal heart tracings changed to Category III with no variability. On May 14, 2019 at approximately 7:25 hours, the obstetrician, due to concerns with the fetal heart monitoring tracing delivered plaintiff. On May 14, 2019 at approximately 7:34 hours, a forceps delivery was performed and at approximately 7:34 hours, minor plaintiff was born. On May 14, 2019, CHW was born with no heart rate, APGAR scores of 0,1,1, and 3 at 1,5, 10 and 15 minutes of life respectively. On May 14 ,2019, the umbilical cord pH for the minor plaintiff measured less than 6.8. On May 18, 2019, CH.W. died of severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Plaintiff alleged that on May 13 and May 14, 2019, various employees of the hospital deviated from the standard of care in the labor and delivery management of C.W. and CH.W. by failing to evaluate, document and diagnose the health of CH.W. in utero on May 13, 2019; failed to deliver CH.W. in a timely manner on May 13, 2019; failed to deliver minor plaintiff sooner on either May 13th or May 14th, 2019; failed to recognize the multiple signs and symptoms of a baby in distress on May 13 or May 14, 2019 and negligently increased the dosage of Pitocin to minor plaintiff. (2008)

I.R. v. Local Suburban Hospital and Nurse Anesthetist

(2024) Medical negligence/wrongful death: 76 year-old male presented Chicagoland area community hospital for purposes of an elective laminectomy to address his back pain. Anesthesia management was provided by a Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and no anesthesiologist or other medical doctor was involved in anesthesia care. The CRNA did not recognize intraoperative vital sign abnormalities, did not communicate the abnormalities to the in-house anesthesiologist(s), and did not intervene to correct and improve the vital sign trends. Inappropriate dosing of anesthetic agents was utilized throughout surgery, which resulted in deterioration of the patient’s blood pressure and a cardiopulmonary arrest. Plaintiff alleged that lack of physician oversight and CRNA mismanagement caused the patient’s death. Co-counsel with Kathryn L. Conway.

Medical Malpractice/Birth Injury/Wrongful Death: Following an induction of labor on January 19, 2021, the baby’s fetal heart rate tracings were initially normal. However, over the course of the next two days, the tracings became abnormal as did the mother’s contraction pattern. Pitocin administration continued despite the presence of abnormal tracings, without intervention from the medical providers, which included attending physicians, resident physicians, and nurses. According to Plaintiff’s experts, a c-section should have been performed on the afternoon of January 20th or the early morning of January 21st, based on the irregular and problematic heart rate tracings. Instead, a crash c-section was performed in the mid-morning of January 21st. The baby was born with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and died on the same day of her birth. She is survived by her parents.

K.L. v. A Local Hospital (Cook County)

(2023) Medical Malpractice/Birth Injury/Wrongful Death: Immediately after birth, Plaintiff’s newborn daughter required breathing assistance due to a nuchal cord (the umbilical cord around the baby’s neck as she progressed down the birth canal). A pediatric team was standing by at delivery and made two failed attempts to intubate the newborn baby. A neonatal team was called for additional resuscitative efforts and in the interim oxygenation by laryngeal mask airway was not attempted. After intubation, the baby’s heart rate never improved. Plaintiff’s experts believed that the endotracheal tube was not properly placed. Eleven minutes after being pronounced, the baby was noted to still be breathing. Resuscitation efforts were then re-started. She was again pronounced later that day. Decedent is survived by her parents. Co-Counsel with Kathryn L. Conway.

Settlement: $2,500,000.00

Plaintiff alleged that defendant healthcare providers were negligent in failing to timely recognize and surgically resect a perforated colon caused by ingestion of a foreign body, which resulted in the patient’s death. Decedent was survived by his wife.

Medical Malpractice/ Wrongful Death: The Decedent died from a pulmonary embolism eight days after undergoing surgery at Westlake Hospital allegedly because she did not receive appropriate anticoagulation medication post-operatively. Plaintiff alleged that the Defendant care providers failed to appreciate the patient’s risk factors for developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism. Defense argued that pharmacologic intervention was not necessary because the patient was ambulating adequately post-operatively

Medical Malpractice/Wrongful Death: Plaintiff’s husband presented to a local community hospital with numerous injuries to his chest and abdomen, including multiple vertebral and rib fractures, following an unwitnessed motorcycle crash. Imaging was performed which identified small bilateral pneumothoraces. The emergency room physician did not insert chest tubes prior to transferring the patient to the nearest trauma center for a higher level of care and Decedent was pronounced dead shortly after arrival to the trauma center. An autopsy was not performed. Plaintiff contended Decedent died as a result of a tension pneumothorax. Defendants argued that cause of death could not be determined in the absence of an autopsy and that Decedent most likely died from bleeding or other organ injury caused by the motorcycle crash. Decedent was survived by his wife.

Medical negligence/wrongful death: 78 year-old female presented to Chicago area hospital with complaints of a severe 10/10, thunderclap headache. A CT scan was not timely obtained. Had it been, plaintiff alleged a subdural hemorrhage would have been timely identified and treated. Instead, the patient experienced ongoing headache and later incontinence and vomiting when the CT was obtained. Neurosurgical intervention was undertaken too late and the patient died due to extensive bleeding causing brain herniation.

Decedent was fatal shot when her former fiancé unexpectedly appeared at her place of employment, and confronts her in the parking lot and shot and killed her on November 19, 2018. Co-counsel with James I. Power