Lane & Lane recently helped a victim of medical negligence and carelessness secure a $22.18 million judgment for injuries she sustained at the Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago.
Chicago, Illinois (PRWEB) December 09, 2015
The Law Offices of Lane & Lane, LLC recently helped a victim of medical negligence and carelessness secure a $22.18 million judgment for injuries she sustained at the Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago. Lane & Lane partners Scott D. Lane and Stephen I. Lane tried their client’s case (No. 06 L 5913) in front of a jury alleging that Mercy Hospital was guilty of negligence in the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of their client. As a result of the Hospital’s negligence, it was alleged that the client suffered respiratory distress, leading to respiratory arrest and hypoxic brain damage.
According to the complaint filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, the injuries occurred after the client was admitted to the hospital following complications of a dental abscess and infection. The infection spread to the client’s neck, resulting in a condition called Ludwig’s angina, which threatened to close off her airway. This condition required the client to undergo an emergency tracheostomy to provide an open airway.
This emergency surgery was successful, and after several days with antibiotics, the infection subsided. On the sixth day, as the client was about to be discharged from the hospital, bleeding developed from the trach site. After several bouts of bleeding and repeated requests for help by the client’s sister, a resident on call and senior resident came to help, but neither had trach management experience. The Lanes’ client suffered a respiratory arrest in front of the senior resident, who was unable to get an airway re-established. An anesthesiologist was eventually able to re-establish the airway by positioning the tracheostomy tube.
Lane & Lane partners Scott D. Lane and Stephen I. Lane successfully argued that their client’s tracheostomy had become obstructed and that the hospital’s nurses and residents failed to re-establish their patient’s airway in a timely manner, which caused extensive brain damage as a result of a lack of oxygen. The defense claimed that the client’s sister manipulated the trach out of position to cause the obstruction, respiratory arrest, and brain damage.
With the help of partner Mark Brown, associate attorneys Ray Steadmon and Olivia Sarmas, and law clerk Kevin Griffin, the Law Offices of Lane & Lane, LLC prevailed in court. On December 4, 2015, according to court documents, a jury found that Mercy Hospital was negligent and held it accountable for the injuries to the Lane & Lane client, awarding the plaintiff $22,185,598.50 in damages. The money compensates the plaintiff for medical expenses, care, and treatment; the value of benefits and earnings lost; pain and suffering; disfigurement resulting from the injury; emotional stress; and loss of normal life.
“We have been working tirelessly on this case for the past 10 years. This was an incredibly hard-fought and bittersweet victory, as our client passed away the evening before the verdict was issued,” said Stephen Lane.
Case Information:
Illinois 06 L 5913, Circuit Court of Cook County
About the Law Offices of Lane & Lane, LLC
Located in Chicago, Illinois, the attorneys at the Law Offices of Lane & Lane, LLC are known for their passionate representation of their clients throughout every stage of their personal injury lawsuits. These attorneys are experts on wrongful death and serious injury cases involving brain and spinal cord damage due to car accidents, fires and explosions, and medical malpractice. With a long history of multimillion dollar verdicts and insurance settlements, Lane & Lane is recognized as a law firm leader with membership in the International Society of Primerus Law Firms (Primerus)—an elite international group of law firms. Lane & Lane is the only plaintiffs’ personal injury law firm in the entire state of Illinois to be included in this group.
Known for outstanding legal ability and integrity, the attorneys at Lane & Lane are dedicated to helping seriously injured clients and their families. This law firm never represents insurance companies or big businesses who are often responsible for their clients’ injuries. If you need to take legal action to obtain full and fair compensation for your injuries, please contact our Chicago-based personal injury law firm today at 888-484-9881.