Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog

A DuPage County jury recently “awarded $11.5 million to a Bolingbrook woman who lost her unborn baby and her small intestine because of negligence by staff at Edward Hospital in Naperville.” (Chicago Tribune, Serena Maria Daniels, 10/27). The mother, a 30 year old woman, had been taken to the hospital in November of 2004 complaining of abdominal pains. At that time, she was 14 weeks pregnant and was admitted to the postpartum units where “nurses failed to monitor her deteriorating condition and that of her unborn baby.”

Despite being warned of the mother’s prior medical condition of a twisted intestine, it took several hours for medical personnel to move her into the intensive care unit. During that time, she lost consciousness, and by the time the problem was discovered both her small intestine and her baby were past the point of saving.

After a small intestine transplant, the mother will likely face major medical challenges for the remainder of her life, and with all the additional risk factors, it is unlikely she can ever have a natural child. As Chicago medical malpractice lawyers, we are happy that this family received just compensation for their grave loss.

Continue reading "$11.5 million awarded to Chicago woman who lost unborn baby in negligence lawsuit" »

Congressional investigators say “cancer patients sent home after treatment with radioactive iodine have contaminated hotel rooms and set off alarms on public transportation.” (Washington AP, 10/20).

According to reports, these patients have come into close contact with “vulnerable people, including pregnant women and children, and the household trash from their homes has triggered radiation detectors at landfills.”

Some attribute this to a decision by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reduce requirements for the amount of days that a thyroid cancer patient must stay in the hospital after ingesting radioactive iodine to reduce tumor size. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is set to meet shortly to examine this issue. As a medical malpractice attorney, I am hopeful that the commission will act quickly and increase the requirement for extended stays in the hospital to ensure the safety of those around thyroid cancer patients, especially the most vulnerable.

Continue reading "Alarms set off by radiation from thyroid cancer patients" »

Abbott Laboratories announced today its plan to pull its weight loss drug Meridia off the market in Canada. (AP New York, 10/15). According to Health Canada, the health department of Canada, says the product is being voluntarily withdrawn from Canadian markets.

The drug has previously been banned in Europe, and the United States via the Food and Drug Administration is considering banning the drug too. The drug has been on the U.S. Markets since 1997.

This action occurs in the aftermath of published reports linking Meridia to side effects like heart attacks and strokes. These grim side effects are more likely to occur after long-term use of the drug.

As a products liability and medical malpractice lawyer in Chicago, I hope the FDA acts swiftly. All Meridia users should discontinue use immediately, at a minimum until further information is available.

GeneScience Pharmaceutical, a Chinese company, and its chief executive “plead guilty on Wednesday to federal charges of illegally distributing human growth hormone in the United States, capping a three-year investigation targeting the company” (10/6, NY Times, D. Wilson). The market for illegal drugs of this type is largely within professional sports.

The case was heard in the United States District Court in Providence, Rhode Island. As a result of the guilty plea, Defendants must pay over $7 million in criminal forfetiures, as well as$3 million to a “Clean Competition Fund” to support drug-free sports. Additionally, the company founder, Lei Jin, was sentenced to five years of probation.

As a medical malpractice lawyer in Chicago, I am hopeful that the guilty plea results in GeneScience ceasing to distribute illegal drugs in the United States. The demand for these illegal drugs must be cut off, or it is likely that GeneScience or other similar companies will continue to capitalize on the opportunity for profits. Additionally, it is incredible dangerous to consume drugs form the black market in general, but especially those coming in from foreign countries. Although human growth hormone is legal in the United States when prescribed by a physician, there is no guarantee that the illegally imported product is up to the health and safety standards of the United States.

The Chicago Based Council for Graduate Medical Education announced this week that its board has approved new rules, and “Sleep-deprived rookie doctors will be getting shorter work shifts, along with stricter supervision.” (Chicago AP, 9/29).

Council CEO Thomas Nasca says, “the new rules aim to ensure patient safety and a humanistic learning environment for doctors-in-training.”

As a result of the rules that take effect next July, maximum work shifts for first-year residents will be decreased from 24 hours to 16 hours, although the 80 hour work week limitation remains. Medical residents are also required to tell patients that other, more experienced doctors are supervising them.

As a medical malpractice attorney in Chicago, I am pleased to see that patient safety is being taken into consideration.