Clifford Law Offices obtained a $3 million verdict on behalf of a 52-year-old man who died due to a pulmonary embolism suffered 50 days after leg surgery at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital.
The case involved Edward A. Smolinski of Elmhurst, Illinois who died when doctors failed to prevent, diagnose and treat a pulmonary embolus following surgery to repair a quadriceps tendon in his left leg. The case was brought by his wife Margaret and their two children.
Smolinski was a patient at Elmhurst Hospital in the summer of 2011, after slipping from the cab of his work truck causing a ruptured tendon in his left leg. Following surgery, Smolinski suffered shortness of breath, chest pain, tachycardia and leg swelling. From July 20, 2011, through July 28, 2011, doctors and physical therapists failed to recognize signs and symptoms of a pulmonary embolus and did not perform testing to rule out this life-threatening disorder.
“The jury saw that this husband and father would still be here today had the physical therapist and doctors paid attention to the well-recognized and reported symptoms that clearly indicated that Ed was suffering from a life-threatening blood clot,” said partner Bradley M. Cosgrove, lead trial attorney.
The two-week trial for Smolinski v. Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare, et. al., No. 13 L 5258 was argued before the Hon. Lorna Propes in Cook County Circuit Court, Law Division, at the Daley Center. The verdict was announced in late November 2017.
Clifford Law Offices partner Susan A. Capra, (who is also a registered nurse) and associate Charles R. Haskins also represented the plaintiff.
Prior to trial, the case against another defendant, Dr. Vioneet Singla, a family practitioner and osteopath, settled for $1.5 million.