Yesterday, Cook County unanimously approved two medical malpractice settlements totaling approximately $8.6 million. These cases are associated with the county-run Stroger Hospital, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
The bulk of the settlement, $6.75 million, will be awarded to Brianna Newman. According to the September 2020 lawsuit, Newman had arrived at Stroger's emergency room in January 2020, 35 weeks into her pregnancy and with abdominal pain due to a car accident. The lawsuit asserts she alerted medical personnel to her lack of fetal movement since the accident.
To correctly, the lawsuit accuses hospital staff that they did not adequately monitor the fetus using continuous electronic fetal monitoring. They also allegedly overlooked a CT scan that indicated potential placental complications. Additionally, the suit alleges that they failed to conduct an ultrasound or suitably install an electronic fetal monitor to monitor the baby's condition. Owing to delayed continuous fetal monitoring, an emergency cesarean section was performed, but her baby, Massiah, could not be revived.
A physician, who wished to remain anonymous, endorsed the lawsuit by stating that compliance with the standard of care would have led to a timely diagnosis of fetal distress and prompt intervention, most likely saving Massiah and preventing neurological damage, furthers the Chicago Tribune.
The second settlement, totaling $1.8 million, will be allocated to Sonia Del Real, to administer the estate of the late Rebeca Alvarez. After receiving treatment at Stroger Hospital, Alvarez passed away in June 2019. A lawsuit filed by Del Real argues the hospital staff's failure to monitor Alvarez while on a medication, Promacta, "caused or contributed" to her liver failure and subsequent death.
Questions about both medical malpractice cases were deferred to the Cook County state's attorney by Cook County Health. However, the attorney office declined to comment, as per the same Chicago Tribune report.
Simultaneously, Cook County agreed to settle another case for $1.5 million. This case concerns the death of a 39-year-old patient who did not receive sufficient treatment at Stroger Hospital. The patient was suffering from symptoms such as a sore throat, difficulties in swallowing, and breathing difficulty. A neck X-ray revealed severe epiglottitis. However, while waiting for an airway assessment, the patient tragically suffered a respiratory arrest and passed away days later, according to Corboy & Demetrio.
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