$14.4 Million Awarded in a Medical Malpractice Case: Michigan City

Fifty-two year old Kathryn Parker will receive $14.4 million as compensation for the injuries suffered by her due to the negligence of her doctors. The jury found that Drs. Jeffrey Rosen and Allen Mikhail were guilty of negligence in the 2010 bariatric surgery that caused Plaintiff’s injuries.

Advocate Good Samaritan, the hospital in which the bariatric surgery took place had settled with the Plaintiff before the trial began. The settlement was made for $5 million.

The medical malpractice case on behalf of Parker was filed by attorney Kenneth J. Allen. Owing to her obesity related health complications in 2010, Parker had undergone a bariatric surgery at the Advocate Good Samaritan located in Downers Grove, Illinois. At the time of the surgery it was known that Parker had a medical condition for which she was taking a blood thinner. However, the doctors gave her the wrong anti-clotting medicine which led to extensive internal bleeding and complications.

The negligence by the doctors left Parker in a condition where she will need around the clock healthcare for the rest of her life. Since the surgery, Parker has faced a substantially loss to her cognitive function and needs a wheelchair as she cannot walk. She is even unable to write her name. Currently, she is being helped by her three sisters, who stay with her and take complete care of her.

A Chicago federal court on April 29, 2015, ruled in plaintiff’s favor and found the two Illinois doctors guilty of negligence. The compensation amount includes Advocate Good Samaritan’s out-of-court settlement at $5 million, as well as the federal court’s award of $9.4 million, which totals into $14.4 million.