Lake County Family Wins More than $9 Million in Illinois Medical Malpractice Case Involving Son’s Wrongful Death
The family of a 12-year-old boy who died after he was given an antibiotic he was allergic to has won the second appeal in the Illinois medical malpractice case over his wrongful death. In 2006, a Lake County jury ordered Lake County Anesthesiologists, anesthesiologist Dale Gordon, and surgeon Andrew Kontrick to pay the family of Andrew Muno $7.5 million. Kontrick settled with the family but the two other defendants appealed the verdict twice.
This week, Lake County Judge Raymond McKoski upheld the original jury award plus interest. This means the family has been awarded over $9 million for Muno’s wrongful death.
In December 1999, Muno underwent surgery at Condell Medical Center to repair a cut tendon on his arm. He died after experiencing an allergic reaction to a specific antibiotic and started having problems breathing.
The family’s wrongful death lawyers accused the doctors of failing to recognize that Muno was experiencing respiratory distress and failing to treat his condition. Their Illinois wrongful death lawsuit contends that Kontrick and Gordon should have stopped the surgery as soon as Muno started having breathing problems.
Medication Errors
In 2006, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies reported that 1.5 million people a year are injured because of medication errors. These types of medical mistakes can occur during all phases of treatment, from prescription through the monitoring of care.
More Medication Error Facts:
• 400,000 preventable injuries that are drug-related occur in hospitals annually.
• 800,000 medication errors occur each year in long-term care facilities.
• 530,000 outpatient, Medicare recipients each year are the victims of medication mistakes.
Side effects from a medication mistake may include allergic reactions, health complications, adverse reactions when combining one medication with another, and death.
Wildwood family wins lawsuit in death of son, Pioneerlocal.com, December 11, 2008
Family Wins 2nd Appeal In Wrongful Death Of Boy, CBS2Chicago, December 11, 2008
Medication Errors Injure 1.5 Million People and Cost Billions of Dollars Annually;
Report Offers Comprehensive Strategies for Reducing Drug-Related Mistakes, National Academies, July 20, 2006
Related Web Resource:
Read the June 20 Appeal (PDF)
