Woman wins $9 Million Verdict Following Brain Infection Mistake
A medical malpractice verdict was recently upheld by an appeals court following the tragic brain injury caused by improper medical care. As explained by About Lawsuits, Maria Theresa Sanchez was improperly treated by her doctor, suffering severe brain damage after the medical professional’s failure to properly diagnose a brain infection.
Maria had medical problems in the past. Specifically, she had a shunt implanted in her brain since she was a child to help drain fluid, a corrective measure necessary because she suffered from hydrocephalus. This childhood problem never prevented her from living a highly functional life; she was at all times being able to work and care for herself.
Eventually Maria began experiencing medical problems and visited her local healthcare facility. During the visit, the medical professionals merely gave Maria Tylenol and sent her home. The problems worsened, however, and she went back to receive more medical help. At the second facility a local doctor told Maria that it was unlikely that a problem with her shunt was the issue, because that was the “worst-case-scenario.”
Another doctor was consulted in an attempt to figure out the problem. However, in consulting one another the doctors did not include specific information about Maria’s symptoms, inhibiting the chance of getting proper alternative medical opinions. The other doctor did not look at Maria’s records or test for infections around the shunt.
Maria’s condition worsened. Doctors continued to deny the existence of a brain infection. It was only when Maria fell out of her wheelchair and was rushed to the emergency room that a different doctor diagnosed her with the infection and removed the damaging shunt.
The emergency procedure was too late to save Maria from permanent injury. She is now partially paralyzed, cannot walk, has slurred speech, cannot feed herself, and is in constant pain.
Our Chicago brain injury attorneys at Levin & Perconti understand the degree of loss following these truly debilitating injuries. There is no compensation that can properly account for the problems associated with all injuries that affect a brain. However, in fighting for recourse, victims and their families protect the dignity of their right to fair treatment and ultimately help ensure that steps are taken to correct the problem so that future brain injury victims are spared.
