On March 25, 2019, a Cook County jury awarded a whopping $23.5 million in damages against Presence St. Joseph Hospital in favor of the plaintiff for severe braining injuries caused by the hospital’s medical malpractice. The plaintiff was represented by Matthew Patterson and Jack Beam from Beam Legal Team, LLC, working with Fieger Law’s Geoffrey Fieger. The verdict is one of the largest medical malpractice verdicts issued from a Chicago court this year.
Under Illinois law, health care providers – including doctors, nurses, hospitals, and hospital staff – are liable for injuries that result from conduct that falls below the applicable medical standard of care. In this case, the plaintiff’s child, Amirah Whiten, required an immediate C-section after fetal monitor strips signaled that the baby was in fetal distress.
However, the doctors at St. Joseph failed to take immediate action. Evidence strongly suggested that the child needed brain cooling to prevent brain damage. The attending doctor didn’t even know that St. Joseph had the ability to perform the necessary brain cooling procedure. After a three hour delay, the C-section was completed, but not after causing the plaintiff’s child to suffer severe brain damage due to inadequate oxygen to the brain (hypoxia).
After two days of deliberation, the Cook County jury – presided by Judge Lorna E. Propes – announced their verdict awarding the plaintiff $23.5 million against the hospital for medical malpractice.
Beam Legal Team, LLC Will Fight for You
Have you or one of your loved ones had a child who suffered a severe birth injury while under the care of a medical professional? If the injury was the result of substandard care, you might qualify to recover compensatory damages. At Beam Legal Team, LLC, we are committed to providing injured Chicago residents with quality legal advocacy in the pursuit of holding those responsible for causing their injuries liable to pay for their financial losses.
Call Beam Legal Team, LLC at (866) 404-5221 or contact us online today for a free consultation about your legal rights and options against negligent medical professionals.