The family of a man who died of a heart attack while hospitalized after an appendectomy was held not to have a viable medical malpractice case against the attending physician. In July 2017, Timothy Dobine, 43, died while under the care of medical staff at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Ill. Dobine’s family sued in state and federal court. The family sued the U.S. government under the Federal Torts Claim Act alleging that the attending physician, Dr. Morgan Madison, who worked for a federally qualified healthcare center, provided negligent medical care and was the proximate cause of ..read more

Michael Davis consulted a nurse practitioner at CHI St. Alexius Health Williston when he experienced flu-like symptoms. A blood test showed an elevated white blood cell count. Eight months later, he returned to the nurse practitioner, complaining of frothy urine. Blood testing showed again an elevated white cell count and protein or blood in his urine. The nurse practitioner referred Davis to a urologist. The urologist was alleged to have found no urological explanation for the abnormal test results. About six months later, the follow-up appointment with the nurse practitioner and testing show ..read more

The wife of William Lee, a 41-year-old father of young children, found him unconscious in the middle of the night. He was rushed to Westchester Medical Center where he underwent a head CT scan and had a neck CTA. A CTA or “coronary computed tomography angiography” involves the use of CT scans and an injected dye to develop computer-aided, 3-dimensional images of an artery. Two second-year residents interpreted the tests as normal. Over an hour later, one of the residents contacted an attending physician, who was unable to view the test results due to a software problem. An experienced radiolog ..read more

Dr. Fangxiang Chen was an agent of Mercy Clinic East Communities. Dr. Chen allegedly recommended that the plaintiff, Natalie Avilez, 39, undergo a minimally invasive right-sided microdiscectomy at T7-8. A microdiscectomy procedure is a type of minimally invasive discectomy commonly used to treat a herniated disc. When a herniated disc compresses a spinal nerve, symptoms can include pain (which may extend down one or both arms and legs, as is the case in sciatica), muscle weakness and difficulty with repetitive motions. After the surgery, Avilez learned from Dr. Chen that he had operated on the ..read more

Ms. Doe, who had a history of breast cancer, underwent regular breast MRIs. After a tumor was identified on an MRI, her treating radiologist reviewed previous scans and allegedly confirmed that they had been misread as normal for several years. By the time the correct diagnosis was issued, Ms. Doe’s breast cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. Ms. Doe required chemotherapy and radiation and now has a reduced life expectancy. Furthermore, she incurred $341,000 in medical expenses and $19,000 in lost income. Ms. Doe sued undisclosed defendants for choosing not to timely diagnose and treat her br ..read more

Doe was a toddler when taken to MetroSouth Medical Center suffering from a three-day history of fever, headache and eye symptoms. Doe had an elevated heart rate and blood pressure at the hospital. The child was allegedly discharged with a diagnosis of fever and ringworm with instructions to follow up with a pediatrician. The child’s fussiness increased and he developed a swollen right eye, a cough and a cold. Two days later, a physician assistant (PA) allegedly diagnosed periorbital cellulitis and prescribed antibiotics. Periorbital cellulitis is an infection of the eyelid or skin around the e ..read more

Mr. Doe, 68, went to a hospital complaining of severe back pain. When he was admitted, a hospitalist ordered an MRI. Doe began declining neurologically and then was treated for respiratory issues approximately two days into the hospitalization. The MRI order was discontinued. It was not done until the fifth day of Doe’s hospitalization. The MRI results revealed multiple spinal abscesses in Doe’s thoracic and cervical spinal regions, necessitating a spinal decompression. Notwithstanding this treatment, Doe suffered from paraplegia. He has remained in this condition but is able to use a walker t ..read more

Matthew Rossignol, a combat veteran and a father of three, underwent an annual test at the Harry Truman Veterans Administration Hospital. The test results showed that he had an eGFR of 72.7. An eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) is a measure of how well the kidneys are functioning. The eGFR is an estimated number based on blood tests and considers age, gender and body type. After this test was conducted and measured 72.7, in the following year after additional testing, Rossignol allegedly received a letter from the VA stating that he was being approved for further renal evaluation and ..read more

At 37 weeks gestation, Jomayra Rodriguez, 31, was admitted to Yale New Haven Hospital. Rodriguez, whose baby had abdominal ascites in his stomach, was then induced. Abdominal ascites is a condition in which fluid collects in spaces within the abdomen. As fluid collects, it can affect a patient’s lungs, kidneys and other organs. Ascites can cause abdominal pain, swelling, nausea, vomiting and often other physical ailments. Rodriguez’s labor continued for three days but did not progress. Although she was scheduled for a cesarean section, the induction process was first restarted. Her baby suffer ..read more

Brittani Clavet was admitted to the University of Connecticut’s John Dempsey Hospital at 35 weeks gestation. The treating obstetrician, Dr. David Park, allegedly attempted a manual rotation of the baby’s head while observing that she was in the occiput posterior position. An occiput posterior position is when the baby’s head is down, but it is facing the mother’s front instead of her back. It is known to be safe to deliver a baby facing this way, but it is harder for the baby to get through the mother’s pelvis. A resident physician attempted a second manual rotation, after which the fetal moni ..read more