Medical negligence: $22.3M for loss of left leg

A Cook County jury late yesterday awarded the parents of a now ten-year-old boy with a $22.3 million verdict in a medical negligence case arising out of the care and treatment on May 29, 1999 at Advocate Christ Medical Center/Hope Children's Hospital, in the Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn, which resulted in the loss of the boy's left leg.

After a three week trial, the jury returned the verdict after closing arguments were presented by attorneys Antonio M. Romanucci and Stephan D. Blandin, of Romanucci & Blandin, LLC, who represented the plaintiffs, and Edward H. Nielsen, of Pretzel & Stouffer, Chartered, representing the defendant, Tarek Husayni, M.D., a cardiologist, and Rudy Schade, of CassidaySchade, LLC, representing the remaining defendants.

Jake Tinman was born on May 15, 1999 at Advocate Christ with a congenital heart defect which required a shunt procedure. He was then sent home with his parents, Pamela and Michael Tinman, of Bolingbrook. Two weeks later, Jake's parents took him to the emergency room at the hospital where a series of delays and overall negligent care led to his injuries. His left leg, which was alleged to have been improperly dressed in the operating room, ultimately had to be amputated. Delayed treatment and cardiac catheterization led to his cognitive deficiencies and developmental delays.

The jury agreed with the plaintiffs' contentions that the hospital and staff were negligent in that they failed to make a timely diagnosis of Jake's shunt problem; improperly subjected him to an unnecessary cardiac catheterization; improperly applied a pressure dressing to Jake's left leg and also failed to remove it in a timely fashion; failed to monitor his pulse; and improperly destroyed an echocardiogram.

The case, Tinman, Pamela/Michael vs. Advocate Christ Hospital, et al., No. O2LI6398. The judge in the case was Hon. Clare Elizabeth McWilliams.