On February 28, 2016, the lawyer was admitted to St. Francis Hospital in Peoria, Illinois, for pneumonia…medicalmalpracticelawyers.com, $41 Million Illinois Medical Malpractice Verdict For Lawyer Who Suffered Avoidable Stroke, July 2024
During his inpatient hospital stay, the man developed an acute kidney injury due to his pneumonia treatment that required short-term dialysis. A cardiology consultation was arranged while the man was in the hospital for an abnormal heart rhythym. The cardiologist prescribed an anticoagulant medication to minimize the risk of stroke. As a result, daily monitoring of his blood level was required to avoid issues with blood clotting.
The man was discharged from the hospital two weeks later at which time outpatient dialysis was arranged but no arrangement was made for monitoring his anticoagulant blood level. During his dialysis treatments, blood testing revealed that his anticoagulation blood levels had fallen to dangerous levels meaning that his risk for stroke increased. Despite such findings, none of the treating physicians adjusted his anticoagulation medication to bring his blood level into the therapeutic range under the circumstances.
Four weeks later, the man suffered a stroke that a head CT scan revealed was due to a large clot that nearly cut off blood flow to the right side of his brain. As a result, the man became paralyzed on the left side of his body and he was left with severe cognitive deficits that precluded him from continung his profession as a lawyer.
The Illinois medical malpractice lawsuit filed on behalf of the man and his wife alleged that the hospital, the cardiologist, nurses, and other medical providers breached the applicable standard of care by failing to properly monitor the man’s blood levels and adjust his anticoagulation medication accordingly. The lawsuit further alleged that the hospital should not have relied on the kidney doctors to manage the man’s heart condition. The defendants reportedly placed the blame on the others, alleging it was the others’ responsibility, and not their’s, to monitor the man’s blood levels and adjust his medication.