On February 29, 2024, an Illinois medical malpractice jury returned its verdict in favor of a stroke victim in the amount of $39.9 million for the negligence of a doctor in failing to control his blood pressure with medication that led to a devastating stroke weeks later.
The former landscaper and landscape designer had a persistent cough for which he went to a pharmacy in June 2014. His blood pressure at that time was found to be high, and he was advised to make an appointment with a doctor to rule out hypertension. The man saw a doctor in January 2015 for treatment of his cough, which the dcotor believed was due to bronchitis. The doctor was also concerned that the man may have had a pulmonary embolism. Despite the man’s blood pressure being elevated at that time, the doctor did not treat the high blood pressure or refer him for treatment.
The man suffered a hemorrhagic stroke four weeks after seeing the doctor that was caused by his high blood pressure. As a result of his stroke, the man required physical and occupational therapies as well as speech therapy. He currently is unable to drive, has speech difficulties, and is unable to bathe or dress himself or eat without assistance. His ability to walk long distances was affected. He also developed aphasia. The 45-year-old man now requires 24/7 care. He reportedly carries a business card in his pocket that says, ‘I have aphasia, not a lack of intellect, just a problem with speech.”
The man’s South Carolina medical malpractice attorney stated after the verdict, “The patient was having something called heart failure, and from heart failure you get pulmonary edema, which is where your lungs get a little bit of fluid in them. The evidence that we brought at trial, that was persuasive, is that the cough was a symptom of his high-blood pressure.”
The man’s wife stated shortly after the jury’s verdict, “The last nine years of our lives and that of our children have been a living hell. Through their verdict, we hope to get the wheelchair access that Tony requires to get through the day.”
Advocate Physician Partners, which allegedly provided the doctor who failed to treat the man’s elevated blood pressure, argued that the doctor that it provided was an independent contractor and therefore it was not liable for the doctor’s allegedly negligent conduct.
If you or a loved one may have been injured (or worse) as a result of medical negligence in Illinois or in another U.S. state, you should promptly find an Illinois medical malpractice attorney, or a medical malpractice attorney in your state, who may investigate your medical malpractice claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a medical malpractice case, if appropriate.
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