Not guilty in failure to diagnose cardiomyopathy.

Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois
Counsel: Steven C. Steinback and Heather T. Gilbert
Demand: $1.2 million
Asked: $2,181,740.00
Outcome: Not Guilty

This case involved allegations of negligence in failing to diagnose and treat Plaintiff’s cardiomyopathy which resulted in stroke. Plaintiff recovered from the stroke, but had permanent disabilities with lost of motor and cognitive function.

Plaintiff maintained that the defendants failed to diagnose cardiomyopathy; failed to order an echocardiogram and cardiology consultation in 1998; failed to properly interpret EKGs; and failed to prescribe anti-coagulant therapy in 1999 for treatment of the “possible” apical thrombus. Defendants contended that they properly diagnosed and treated Plaintiff’s hypertension; the alleged failure to diagnose cardiomyopathy was non-sensical because the Defendants treated the condition which caused the cardiomyopathy; an earlier referral would have initiated the same treatment course as Defendants; anti-coagulant therapy in response to the “possible” apical thrombus was not indicated and would have been risky for a non-compliant patient; and an apical thrombus did not cause the stroke.