Clifford Law Offices Settles Case Against Cook County Hospital for 3.5 Million

Robert A. Clifford and Timothy S. Tomasik settled a case today (Feb. 6) for $3.5 million against Cook County Hospital on behalf of a 39-year-old woman who suffered permanent disfigurement and disability to her right leg.

Anna Moy of Chicago was struck by a hit-and-run vehicle on the near west side of Chicago Dec. 12, 1997. She was taken for a simple fracture to her right tibia to Cook County Hospital where doctors peformed open surgery to reduce the fracture. Afterwards, medical residents applied a heat-activated plaster splint directly to her leg without placing cotton insulation on the skin. Instead, residents put the insulation on the outside of the splint, creating a thermos effect which caused severe burns and infection.

She required several plastic surgeries, skin grafts, protracted physical therapy and will need assistive devices for the rest of her life because of a permanent lower leg contracture that causes her to walk with a pronounced limp.

Timothy Tomasik, an associate at Clifford Law Offices, created a settlement trust fund pursuant to Rule 469(b) of the Internal Revenue Code which will pay Moy in excess of $7.5 million over the course of the next 20 years.

"This horrific injury would never have occurred if medical personnel were paying attention," Clifford said after the Settlement Trust Fund was approved in Cook County Circuit Court by Judge William Maddux. "This young woman will be dealing with permanent disabilities because medical personnel simply failed to pay attention during a routine procedure."

Assistant State’s Attorney Maxwell Griffin represented Cook County Hospital.