SETTLED $14,000,000.00 2025 Premises and Construction Negligence - Paralyzed and Permanent Disabilities
Premises and Construction negligence - Two metal scrappers were hired by Defendant Owners and their Subcontractor to remove mountains of scrap metal accumulating in a warehouse building undergoing demolition and construction in Downers Grove, Illinois. They were also instructed to remove some tall commercial shelving - "pallet racks". They were provided the code to a lock box to obtain a key to access the premises as they were told to perform their work between Midnight and 7:00 a.m. so as not to be in the way of the demolition and construction workers. They were permitted to use the Subcontractor's equipment, including a scissors lift. However, they never received safety training, never were provided with safety equipment, and were permitted to work unsupervised despite the fact they were inexperienced in performing demolition and construction work from heights. No fall protection was provided in violation of OSHA, ANSI, and Village safety codes. Plaintiff slipped and fell 30 feet to the concrete floor and suffered spinal injuries causing him to be a paraplegic.
The Private Equity Fund Owner of the property was acting as the General Contractor and failed to obtain a Village Permit to perform the demolition and construction work; failed to pre-plan the project to figure out how the demolition work would be safely performed; failed to develop a risk assessment and safety plan given the known dangers of the demolition and construction work; failed to vet and hire a competent and experienced subcontractor (actually their landscaper) to do the dangerous demolition work; permitted an unqualified Property Manager to hire the landscaper as the Subcontractor, and to supervise and control the demolition work and job site despite having experienced Construction Department personnel who could have done so; and approved hiring untrained metal scrappers to perform dangerous construction and demolition work without any supervision, training, or safety equipemt.
The incompetent supervision of an incompetent contractor who fell behind on the job schedule due to a lack of pre-planning and who hired metal scrappers to catch up on the job by removing mounds of scrap metal and dismantle high commercial shelving during the overnight hours proximately caused this accident.
The Private Equity Fund Owner/General Contractor sought to establish that the metal scrappers "broke into" the building and/or were working without their knowledge. However, the Subcontractor (landscaper) did tell the Property Manager about the scrappers and obtained her consent to get them involved in the work as the demolition and construction of the warehouse space was falling behind and pressure was being applied by her bosses to speed up the project.
Settlement was paid by the Private Equity Fund Owner/General Contractor's insurance as the Subcontractor (landscaper) had submitted fraudulent Certificates of Insurance which were never verified by the Owner/General Contractor.
SETTLED $500,000.00 2025 Plastic surgeon medical negligence - Personal Injuries
Woman consulted with Plastic Surgeion in Chicago regarding possible liposuction procedure to be performed in his office. The liposuction was unnecessary as there was not enough fat in the abdomen to provide any real benefit as compared with the risks of the procedure. Nevertheless, the doctor attempted to perform the medical procedure and inserted the liposuction cannula at too steep of an angle; failed to keep tract of the tip of the cannula; failed to perform an accurate physical examination and obtain a medical hitory of a previous C-section, and failed to timely follow-up the patient by having her re-examined by a plastic surgeon after problems developed. The Plaintiff sustained injuries to her bowels and intestines, required multiple medical surgeries and procedures to remove portions of her intestine and repair the eight (8) holes made by the cannula. Tubes and drains were inserted for weeks in order to drain abscesses that had developed. The woman experienced pain, suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement (scars), and disabilities from her business and normal life activities.
The Defendant doctor claimed that his patient "waived" any claims by signing the Consent form. However, the Consent was to a properly performed and necessary procedure and not to a negligently performed and unnecessary procedure.
SETTLED $250,000.00 2025 Dentist malpractice negligence - Nerve Damage from Extraction
Young man brought to dentist by his mother to evaluate wisdom teeth. Dentist recommended extraction of four (4) wisdom teeth. Although the panoramic x-ray showed the root of a tooth was very close to the lingual nerve, he failed to obtain a cone beam CT which would have shown exactly how close the nerve was. Given the angulation of the tooth and proximity of the nerve, the patient should have been referred to an oral surgeon. After the dentist extracted the teeth, the young man experience swelling and pain, which the dentist said was to be expected. However, one half of the tongue adn mouth experienced numbness, paralysis, and loss of sense of taste, Months later, an Oral Surgeon determined that the lingual nerve had been torn and severed on the right side as a result of a wisdom tooth extraction by an inexperienced dentist. The loss of taste, sensation, and paralysis of half the tongue was permanent.
SETTLED $2,300,000.00 2020 Doctor and Hospital Negligence - Wrongful Death
Medical Malpractice - Man was visiting brother-in-law in the hospital when he fainted and struck his head on the floor suffering skull fractures. He was admitted and monitored for brain swelling, but was discharged by the neurosurgeon and other doctors. Later that afternoon, the patient became combative and returned to the emergency room as directed by the neurosurgeon. Patient reported the worst headache ever to the emergency room doctor and nurses, but the neurosurgeon wasn't contacted. He was sent for a CT scan which showed brain swelling. His level of consciousness was deteriorating, but still the neurosurgeon wasn't called. The patient was readmitted and displayed evidence of brain stem compression by decerebrate posturing. The hospitalist failed to diagnose the condition, failed to order necessary medications to treat the brain swelling, and the neurosurgeon failed to return to the hospital until the next morning when he pronounced the patient brain dead.
SETTLED $4,947,738.96 2023 Urology and Hospital Negligence - Wrongful Death
Medical Negligence - during a prostatectomy, Urology physician cut the patient's ureter, whiich wasn't discovered until the next day. Urine leaked into the abdomen causing significant scarring and scar tissue. A nephrostomy tube and bag were placed. Several months later, the Urologist attempted to reconnect the ureter during Robotic surgery. The doctor tore open an abdominal aneurysm resulting in massive bleeding. Vascular surgeons were called to the suburban hospital from the main hospital and desperate attempts were made to stop the bleeding. The patient received over 100 units of blood and blood product transfusions. The massive blood loss and transfusions resulted n multi-organ failure and ultimately the death of the patient, who experienced concious pain and suffering.
SETTLED $1,800,000 2023 Interventional Radiologist Negligence
Medical Malpractice - Interventional radiologist performed an unnecessary medical procedure to treat a benign liver lesion. The doctor negligently injected chemicals into the patient's liver which resulted in destruction of a substantial portion of the liver. She ultimately required liver resection surgery at the Mayo Clinic and the reconnection of her liver to her intestine to drain liver enzymes. She must be monitored for liver failure the rest of her life and suffered severe disfigurement from the surgery.
SETTLED $1,250,000 2019 Surgeon Negligence - Wrongful Death
Medical Malpractice - Patient presented to the emergency room with a bowel obstruction. Various specialists were consulted but no action was taken to relieve the bowel obstruction. Due to the obstruction, the patient suffered ischemia to his bowel resulting in sepsis, septic shock, and his death.
SETTLED $1,150,000 2020 Cardiac Surgeon Negligence - Wrongful Death
Medical Negligence - Cardiac surgeon was attempting a valve resplacement when he negligently put a hole in the aorta resulting in massive internal bleeding. The patient was never resuscitated from the surgery and died.
VERDICT $1,700,000 2018 Anesthesiologist Negligence
Medical Malpractice - during bilateral hip replacement surgery at a Rockford hospital, an orthopedic surgeon placed a retractor which tore an artery resulting in internal bleeding not visible to him. The anesthesiologist recognized the signs and symptoms of significant blood loss, but he never properly or adequately communicated his concerns to the surgeon who left the operating room and hospital. After several hours of ineffective treatment by the anesthesiologist, the nurses called hospital supervisors to take control of the patient and transferred her to the Intensive Care Unit. There the injury was diagnosed and the orthopedic surgeon and a vascular surgeon called to the hospital to perform emergent surgery. The 67 year old woman died two weeks later due to complications from the prolonged bleeding. The 12 jurors unanimously agreed that Dr. Rao J. Gondi and his employer, Rockford Anesthesiologists Associated in Loves Park, IL, were guilty of medical malpractice and negligence for the delay in diagnosis and treatment. Gondi and Rockford Anesthesiologists were held financially responsible for the unnecessary death and emotional loss to the patient's husband and children. The hospital settled the negligence claims made against it before the trial.
SETTLED $1,125,000 2021 Hotel and Bicycle Repair Negligence
Negligence - Chicago hotel provided bicycles for use by hotel guests. Local bicycle shop was responsible for maintenance and repairs of the bicycles. Hotel guest was provided a bicycle with defective hand brakes and when he attempted to use them, one failed to work properly and the other locked up the front tire resulting in the man being ejected over the handlebars. He suffered cervical neck fractures requiring urgent surgery with multi-level fixation and fusions.
SETTLED $850,000 2020 Podiatric Negligence
Medical Malpractice - Teenage gymnast suffered a ligament injury to an ankle during competition. Podiatrist repaired the ligament but convinced the parents that the other ankle was a risk for a similar injury, so he performed an unnecessary surgery. In performing the surgery, the podiatric surgeon caused vascular damage resulting in severe necrosis of the bones in the ankle. This required complex bone transplant surgery in an attempt to preserve the ankle joint in her foot. As a result of the unnecessary and negligently performed surgery, the promising gymnastics future of the young lady was destroyed.
SETTLED $185,000 2020 Negligent removal of snow and ice
Negligence - Elderly gentlemen was walking to a Hosptial entrance on a snowy day when he slipped on the icey sidewalk resulting in an open fracture of his wrist. A private maintenance company had a Contract with the hospital to promptly treat all sidewalks and parking lots of the hospital for the protection and safety of patients entering and leaving the hospital. The patient required surgery to repair the fractures of the bones in his wrist.
SETTLED $250,000 2022 Trip and Fall on Broken Sidewalk
Negligence - Elderly woman was walkng home on a sidewalk on Division Street which had cracks and broken concrete. The sidewalk had been narrowed by a sidewalk cafe permitted. Despite several reports months earlier about the dangersous condition of the sidewalk, it wasn't patched or repaired until after the injury and lawsuit. The pedestrian suffered a fractured hip requiring surgical repair and months of physical therapy.
SETTLED Confidential amount 2022 Dentist Negligence
Dental Malpractice - Dental assistent was convinced by her general dentist employer to allow him to extract her wisdom teeth. One of them was angulated and impacted so when he struggled to remove it, he tore her lingual nerve. She suffered permanent loss of feeling, taste, and paralysis of half of her tongue.
SETTLED $1,600,000 2018 Delay in Diagnosis Breast Cancer
Medical Malpractice - a family practice physician was shown a skin retraction under the breast of her 62 year old patient. An ultrasound was performed of the wrong area and inaccurate information was provided to the breast surgeron who performed a biopsy of the wrong area. The surgeon was also alleged to have failed to obtain a history from the patient and was negligent for failing to perform a proper breast exam. The lesion continued to be present for two years before another physician made the diagnosis and began treatment. The case was settled with equal payments by the family doctor and the breast surgeon before the wife and mother died from her cancer.
VERDICT $2,500,000 2019 OSF Healthcare Hospital Negligence
Medical Malpractice - A Peoria jury awarded $2.5 million to the husband and sons of a woman who died after her heart and blood vessels were perforated during a laser lead extraction procedure at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. The case alleged that the Hospital rushed a new surgical program and procedure to take advantage of the growing business of removing pacemaker leads by granting a clinical privilege to an inexperienced physician and permitting him to organize, implement, and manage the new program. As a result, the cardiovascular surgeon and staff were poorly prepared to immediately respond to the bleeding caused by the injury to the heart and blood vessels. The unanimous verdict by twelve jurors from Peoria County shows that good and decent people will follow the law and hold companies and hospitals responsible for harm and medical malpractice.
SETTLED $3,150,000 2017 Surgeon Negligence
Medical Malpractice - A surgeon performed abdominal surgery to repair a hernia through a laparoscopic incision and injured the patient's intestine. He failed to recognize and promptly repair the injured bowel which permitted bowel contents to leak and contaminate the abdomen. The patient was urgently transferred from the small Central Illinois Hospital to Carle Foundation Hospital and ultimately was treated at Rush University Medical Center. The husband and father of two died in Chicago from complications caused by the surgical negligence causing the perforated bowel and the delay in diagnosing and treating the surgical injuries.
SETTLED $1,350,000
Medical Malpractice - Doctor performed unnecessary surgery to remove total thyroid gland and caused damage to both recurrent laryngeal nerves and all four parathyroid glands causing bilateral vocal cord paralysis and hypocalcemia. The young woman required a tracheotomy to be able to breath. After a year, she underwent a laser cordotomy to increase her airway. She had difficulty breathing, had respiratory distress, suffered brain injury leading to a coma and death. Both the Survival Act claim and Wrongful Death Act claims were settled for the benefit of her mother, father, and sister.
SETTLED $1,800,000
Medical Malpractice - Doctor improperly treated patient for colitis with excessive steroids causing bilateral avascular necrosis requiring both hips to be replaced.
SETTLED $1,000,000
Medical Malpractice - Young woman suffering from sleep apnea and seizures was not properly monitored in hospital and overmedicated resulting in respiratory arrest and death.
SETTLED $3,100,000
Medical Malpractice - Gastroenterologist failed to obtain a complete history and failed to perform a complete colonoscopy causing a delay in diagnosis of colon cancer resulting in death.
VERDICT $2,043,000
Medical Malpractice - Internist and Pulmonologist misdiagnosed chronic cough of patient and gave unnecessary and excessive steroids resulting in bilateral avascular necrosis requiring both hips to be replaced.
VERDICT $1,550,000
Medical Malpractice - Chicago Bears running back sued the Chicago Bears' team physician for failing to re-evaluate him for signs and symptoms of post concussion syndrome and for not warning him of the danger of returning to play prior to recovering completely. Player returned to practice and games one week after suffering a Grade II concussion and suffered a career ending concussion with permanent brain function injury.
SETTLED $1,600,000
Medical Malpractice - Disabled obese woman received knee replacement. Fell while being transferred from bed with inadequate nursing assistance resulting in disruption of knee and surgical wound. It became infected ultimately requiring amputation of leg.
SETTLED $600,000
Medical Malpractice - Plaintiff suffered dislocated jaw while in the hospital and doctor refused to come to hospital to diagnose and treat the condition resulting in temporal mandibular joint dysfunction.
SETTLED $965,000
Medical Malpractice - Plaintiff underwent unnecessary surgery on pituitary gland and developed chronic cerebral spinal fluid leak and hormonal imbalances due to removal of normal gland tissue.
SETTLED $500,000
Medical Malpractice - Plaintiff brought by wife to doctor's office complaining of epigastric pain with radiation into shoulders and arms was misdiagnosed with recurrent peptic ulcer and sent home. Turned out it was a heart attack and patient died the next day.
