A staggering $41 million has landed in the lap of a former attorney and his wife following a month-long trial that culminated in a Cook County jury pointing the finger at multiple healthcare providers for a severe medical oversight. Craig Pierce, once a practicing lawyer from Bushnell, and his wife Susan are to receive what is thought to be Illinois' largest medical malpractice payout for a plaintiff over 70, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Pierce's life took a dire turn in 2016 after being hospitalized for pneumonia. Complications led to an acute kidney injury and a subsequent stroke after the healthcare providers allegedly mismanaged his prescribed anticoagulant. Due to the incident, the former attorney has been left with left-side paralysis and severe cognitive issues that render him reliant on round-the-clock care provided by his wife and grandchildren. According to the 25News Now report, the jury apportioned the damages, throwing $35.1 million to Pierce himself and an additional $6 million to his spouse for the long-term care they necessitate.

The lawsuit laid the blame squarely on the shoulders of four healthcare entities, including OSF HealthCare, which has reportedly declined to comment on the case. The jury, having found OSF, RenalCare Associates, Fresenius Medical Care of Illinois, and Dr. Sudha Cherukuri, culpable, highlighted the failure to manage Pierce's blood-thinning medication correctly, which led to his devastating stroke. In a statement obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, Christopher Hurley of Hurley McKenna & Mertz articulated that while the record-setting verdict is "bittersweet," it's also a just outcome, enabling Craig Pierce to receive the necessary care he "needs and deserves."

What triggered a twist in the legal proceedings was Dr. Sudha Cherukuri's deposition in 2022, where she indicated that managing the blood thinner was not in her wheelhouse but presumably under OSF's jurisdiction. This deposition was a crucial turn of events, as emphasized by the Chicago Sun-Times, painting a stark picture of fractured communication and flawed reliance between healthcare providers. Meanwhile, Fresenius Medical Care expressed a contrasting sentiment, noting in a statement obtained by 25News Now their disagreement with the verdict, which "was not supported by the evidence." Nevertheless, they wished the Pierce family closure following the trial's conclusion.