Jury Reaches $700,000 Verdict Against Doctor for Man who Died in Hospital
Press Release, 06/09/2005Robert A. Strelecky, partner at Clifford Law Offices, obtained a $700,000 verdict Thursday, June 9, 2005 on behalf of a 44-year-old construction worker who died at Palos Community Hospital when medical personnel failed to properly monitor and treat him for his pneumonia.
Patrick Nally went to the hospital's emergency room on New Year's Eve in 1999 complaining of a sore throat, shortness of breath, a fever and a cough. His two children, then aged 19 and 17, went with him. Their mother had died of breast cancer just a couple of months before and he was the only living parent to care for them.
Nally was admitted to the hospital and treated but showed only slight improvement. On New Years Day, he was given an anti-anxiety medication by a nurse and he died shortly thereafter.
"This man's death was so preventable had the hospital personnel and his doctor and nurses properly monitored him," Strelecky said after the verdict. "Instead, because of their negligence, he leaves two young people without parents. Medical personnel need to know that they must tend to people with medical problems even on holidays. People's health does not take vacations."
Clifford Law Offices previously had obtained a $2.5 million settlement the day before trial from the hospital. The trial continued and the verdict was reached against Dr. Crystal Otteman, Nally's physician.
The trial lasted eight days. The nine-man-three woman jury reached a verdict in 7 hours.
