Settlements / Verdicts

Nursing Home / Medical Malpractice

Case settled for 1.4 million against the Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA) for failure to diagnose hospital acquired pneumonia.

Diane Vela, as administrator of the Estate of Joseph Vela, deceased: Department of Veterans Affairs medical malpractice case in which the Plaintiff contended that the doctors at the VA failed to diagnose hospital acquired pneumonia. The VA contended that the clinical findings were inconsistent with pneumonia because there was no cough and no fever. The Plaintiff’s expert was instrumental in helping to obtain this settlement.

After 8 days of a jury trial, case settled against nursing home and doctor for nearly 1 million dollars, including punitive damages.

Hattie Brown, deceased, by and through her Guardian, Renee Ferguson, et al., v. Renaissance at South Shore; and Doctor Shelly Sternberg, M.D.: Nursing home malpractice case on behalf of a decedent who was 100 years old at the time of incident. The plaintiffs contended that pressure sores were negligently permitted to develop and were not appropriately treated resulting in the partial amputation of one leg and the amputation of part of the other foot. In a case believed to be one of the first since treble damages were eliminated from the statute, plaintiff was able to allege common law punitive damages on behalf of the estate.

Case settled for $800,000 for nursing home neglect for the failure to diagnose CDiff in an 83 year old resident.

Confidential: Nursing home resident/plaintiff went to a nursing home for rehab following knee surgery. She developed diarrhea but no other symptoms. There was no diagnosis of CDiff despite diarrhea being a strong symptom of the illness. One week later she became very dehydrated and had to be hospitalized. About a week after the hospitalization she had a stroke and died. The defense contended that the stroke was independent of her other problems and not caused by anything that the nurse practitioner and nursing home did or did not do. Plaintiffs nursing and medical experts were able to put a strong case together to forge a settlement.

Case settled for nearly 1.5 million for nursing home abuse for patient who was sexually assaulted by staff and the doctor who failed to diagnose a pregnancy.

Confidential: A developmentally disabled nursing home resident who could not talk and had little cognition was raped by a staff member and became pregnant. The nursing home contended that it was not responsible for the acts of the staff person. The doctor also failed to diagnose the resulting pregnancy for a lengthy period of time.

Case settled for $400,000.

Confidential: Nursing home malpractice case on behalf of a decedent who was assaulted by another resident in a suburban nursing home. The decedent who suffered from dementia, died 7 weeks later.

$300,000 settlement.

Confidential: Family of deceased nursing home resident sued over fall resulting in fractured hip. There were no witnesses to the fall.

Case settled for $200,000.

Estate of Delores Gocal v. Lexington Health Care Center of Chicago Ridge, Inc.: Nursing home malpractice case on behalf of the decedent who fell and broke her hip while a resident of the defendant facility. Plaintiff contended that his mother, who was not allowed out of her wheelchair without assistance, was likely left unsupervised in the dining room when she got out of her wheelchair, walked down the hall and fell. There were no witnesses to the incident, and the decedent was unable to give a report about the fall because she suffered from dementia.

$175,000 settlement.Confidential: Medical Malpractice case against local agency providing nurses to area hospitals and local hospital for failing to properly insert and remove an intravenous catheter.

$175,000 settlement.

Confidential: Family of deceased nursing home resident sued over skin infection and pressure sores that resulted in three (3) week hospitalization but no permanent injury.

Jury awarded $100,000.00 for pain and suffering and $36,600 for the medical bills plus attorney fees.

Grant et al., v. Glenview Terrace et al.: Nursing home, medical malpractice case in which a nursing home resident lost his right eye as a result of an infection that should have been treated sooner. There was a failure to timely diagnose the eye condition. The Plaintiff died of unrelated causes before the trial.

$125,000 settlement.

Confidential: Nursing Home neglect case in which the decedent developed pressure sores while a resident at the first nursing home which became worse at a second nursing home.

$75,000 settlement.

Confidential: Nursing home neglect case in which plaintiff fell. However, she did not sustain any significant injury.

Case settled for $50,000.

Confidential: Plaintiff, a psychiatric resident, was sexually abused by a therapist of a psychiatric facility. Her case was brought against the facility under the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act.

Police Misconduct / Civil Rights

$5 Million Dollar Settlement.

Coleman v. City of Chicago, et al.: Settlement for family of mentally ill man that died as a result of abuse by Chicago Police officers. The police refused multiple family requests for mental evaluation by responding: “We don’t do hospitals. We do jail.” Police ignored obvious signs of mental illness and kept Coleman in jail for 12 hours without food or water. After 12 hours police confronted Coleman when he was mentally unable to comply with verbal commands to leave the cell. Coleman was tasered three times in his cell for his lack of cooperation, and placed in a choke hold. After Coleman lost consciousness he was placed in handcuffs and shackles, and then dragged out of his cell down a lengthy hallway while still unconscious. A Federal Judge issued a pretrial ruling that, as a matter of law, the police violated Coleman’s civil rights when he was dragged out of his cell. Coleman was transported to a hospital with no mental health facility where he was then tasered 13 more times, and beaten repeatedly with a baton. Coleman was then given medication and experienced a rare side effect that resulted in his death. One of the country’s preeminent experts regarding this side effect was retained to review this case, and concluded that the neglect and abuse by Chicago Police Officers was a significant contributing factor in Coleman’s death.

1.93 million dollars settlement.

Anderson et al., v. Cornejo et al.: Race discrimination/Fourth Amendment case brought on behalf of African American women who were strip searched by U.S. Customs upon returning to O’Hare airport from international destinations. The plaintiffs claimed that African American women were unfairly targeted for strip searches based upon their race and gender. This case was enormously successful and resulted in significant policy changes at O’Hare airport in connection with how decisions were to be made to undertake a strip search.

Case settled for $370,000.00 despite fact plaintiff would have been in jail anyway for related charge of aggravated assault.

Pernell v. The City of Chicago et al.: Police brutality case in which the plaintiff was prosecuted for a murder and was facing the death penalty if convicted. The plaintiff alleged that his confession was coerced in that he was locked in a room for roughly 5 days without food and bathroom privileges and beaten.

$350,000 settlement.

Estate of Preston McDowell v. Illinois Correctional Officers: Prisoner in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections died of positional asphyxiation under questionable circumstances after attempting to hold his cellmate hostage. An investigation revealed that the Correctional Officers gave conflicting stories regarding the circumstance of the death, and the former warden of the facility admitted that the force used against the prisoner was unnecessary. He had no family and no work history.

$850,000 cash payout plus various other benefits, including lifetime medical coverage and a public letter of apology.

Brooks v. County of Los Angeles: Case settled for a value of several million dollars that included an $850,000 cash payout plus various other benefits, including lifetime medical coverage and a public letter of apology. Plaintiff was a deputy sheriff who would not go along with a cover up of internal misconduct. Other deputies injured him when the sheriff’s department tried to have the Plaintiff committed to a psychiatric hospital in furtherance of their cover-up.

Verdict of $208,600, plus an award of attorney’s fees exceeding $77,000.

Hodgson v. City of Escondido: Civil rights/excessive force case. Plaintiff was a severely diseased elderly man when the excessive force occurred. Plaintiff’s demand was $100,000 before trial.

Jury awarded Plaintiff $58,750, including $8,750 in punitive damages, plus attorneys’ fees.

Jones. v. City of Braidwood et al.: false arrest case in which the Plaintiff, a ComEd worker was stopped while reading meters. A neighbor had called in a suspicious person report. Jones refused to continue a dialogue with the investigating officer; she had to leave because she was in a hurry to read her meters. A jury found that she was subject to an unreasonable detention and a false arrest.

Jury also awarded Plaintiff $58,750, including $8,750 in punitive damages plus attorneys’ fees.

Hale v. Officer Cooper and the City of Chicago, et al.: This was an excessive force, false arrest case, in which the Plaintiff was stopped for an alleged traffic violation and who allegedly told officers words to the effect that he was familiar with explosives. The stop escalated to the use of force and an arrest. The jury chose to believe that the Plaintiff did not in fact tell the officers that he was familiar with explosives.

Case settled before trial for $112,500.

Eferm Green v. Joliet Police Officer Robert Desiderio: Police misconduct case arising out of the alleged use of excessive force on the plaintiff, an African-American male.

Jury awarded Plaintiff $95,000 including $5,000 in punitive damages.

Schrader v. The Village of Worth and Officer Ferjack: Malicious prosecution case against a police officer. Plaintiff alleged that Officer Ferjack wrongfully gave him various traffic tickets, in part, because Ferjack was mad about a complaint made against him by the Schrader family.

Jury verdict of $88,000 including attorneys’ fees and costs.

Hurrings v. South Chicago Heights Police Officers: Plaintiff was an off-duty police officer who was pulled over for allegedly driving while intoxicated. Plaintiff claimed that during the stop police officers caused a laceration to the bridge of his nose before releasing him without being charged with any crime. Defendants claimed that plaintiff was intoxicated and intentionally caused the injury to himself.

$75,000 settlement.

Estate of Roberto Gonzalez v. Waukegan Police Department: Plaintiff was experiencing hallucinations and was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and barricaded himself in his home. Defendants forced their way into his home and used excessive force, including a Taser on him. Plaintiff died as a result of the drugs and alcohol he had consumed. The lawsuit was based upon the excessive force used the minutes before plaintiff’s death.

Case settled for $70,000, despite one of the Plaintiffs pleading guilty in the related criminal trial.

Underwood et al v. Richard Schmidt, David McGrew, and the City of Chicago: Excessive force, false arrest, and malicious prosecution case in which four family members claimed that the two sons, one of whom was a minor, were beaten by Chicago police officers. Plaintiffs alleged that Officer Richard Schmidt was drunk during the altercation and struck the minor son with his walkie-talkie, causing a laceration that required stitches and that the older son was choked until he almost stopped breathing.

$67,500 settlement including attorneys’ fees and costs.

Beverly Thompson v. D. Wagner, Star No. 634, et al.: False arrest of a middle-aged woman who was a suspect in a burglary. Plaintiff was handcuffed by the defendant/police in the grocery store where she worked and brought out to a police car where she remained for less than 15 minutes until the police released her.

$50,000 award plus attorneys’ fees ($40,000 of the award was for punitive damages).

Brian Cooper v. Commander White and the City of Harvey: Fourth Amendment case based upon a false arrest. Mr. Cooper was accused by his estranged wife of kidnapping his own son which she reported to the defendant, a Commander in the Harvey Police Department. Mr. Cooper voluntarily went to the police station. When he could not immediately produce his son, Cooper was arrested under the child abduction statute. He was held in custody for less than 45 minutes. The Court ruled the arrest unlawful and the jury awarded damages.

Case Settled for $48,000.

Jose Gonzalez et al. v. Waukegan Police Department: Plaintiffs were the family members of an individual that died in the custody of the Waukegan Police Department. Plaintiffs were held involuntarily for approximately 1 hour while a member of their family was in the hospital because investigators wanted to get statements from the family.

$45,000 Jury Verdict.

Venson v. City of Chicago: Plaintiff was a minor who was arrested for allegedly engaging in disorderly conduct and was held in the custody of the Chicago Police Department for approximately 6 hours before being released.

Court awarded more than $23,000, plus attorneys’ fees and costs.

Bryant Stewart, v. Calumet City, Officer Alfonso Mora, Star #135, et al.: Excessive force and false arrest for an African-American teenager who was falsely accused of being a gang member, carrying a gun and fighting with a police officer.

$40,000 Award.

Leadingham v. Milar: Excessive force trial against an off-duty officer who was alleged to have been drinking and used unnecessary force against the plaintiff. Jury held that the off-duty officer was acting under color of law.

Case settled for $37,500.

Bullocks v. City of Chicago: Plaintiff was an insulin dependent diabetic arrested for a misdemeanor. Plaintiff claimed that while in the Chicago Police Department’s custody for more than 24 hours he repeatedly requested that he be given his insulin but was ignored. After being transferred to the Cook County Jail he was transported via ambulance to the hospital and admitted for two days as a result of not receiving his insulin. Plaintiff did not suffer any long-term effects of as a result of the incident.

$35,000 settlement.

Tracy King, et al. v. City of Chicago, et al.: Fourth Amendment case based upon execution of a search warrant at the Plaintiffs’ home. The Def endants entered the Plaintiffs’ home, held the Plaintiffs at gunpoint and destroyed their belongings. Four of the Plaintiffs were taken into custody without probable cause for arrest.

$35,350 Verdict.

Sloman v. City of Simi Valley et. al.: Constitutional law/free speech case. Plaintiff was a slow-growth advocate who received undue harassment from the Simi Valley police. Verdict was affirmed on appeal.

Jury Verdict of $22,642, plus attorneys’ fees.

Meeks v. City of Chicago: Plaintiff alleged that defendant police officers maliciously prosecuted him for allegedly selling a controlled substance. After arresting plaintiff, defendants searched his car and his apartment, but did not find any controlled substances or evidence of selling controlled substances. Despite the lack of evidence defendants initiated the prosecution of plaintiff.

Confidential settlement.

Confidential: Excessive force and false arrest case against private security and City officers. Plaintiff suffered substantial bruising and contusions as a result of being thrown to the ground violently, kicked and punched. The incident occurred in the middle of the street in front of numerous witnesses.

Personal Injury / Legal Malpractice

Jury awarded $415,000.

Reagan v. The Chicago Park District: Personal injury case in which a 64 year old woman tripped in a hole, fell and broke her arm while watching her grandson’s football game. The hole was an uncovered pole vault box the Park District had constructed at a track that surrounded the football field. Surgery was necessary to repair her arm.

Case settled for $200,000. ($100,000 for each child).

In Re: Samuel Milons, III and Kecheka Milons: Wrongful Death case arising from the death of a father of two minor children caused by an uninsured motorist. The Plaintiffs negotiated an equal settlement for both children under insured driver’s policy through a stacking provision, despite the fact that the policy called for a maximum recovery of $100,000 total.

Large, confidential settlement in legal malpractice case.

Confidential: Legal malpractice case arising out of a class action lawsuit for sexual harassment and gender discrimination. The defendant attorneys negligently advised two women in connection with their settlement in the class action case.

Case settled for $53,000 without a lawsuit being filed.

Car versus Pedestrian Accident: Driver of van drove his vehicle in a negligent manner hitting a pedestrian. Our client, the pedestrian sustained soft tissue injuries over his entire body, but he had no serious or permanent damages.

Employment Discrimination

Jury trial in February 2014 resulted in a verdict of $134,000, all for emotional distress, against the Chicago Police Department for retaliatory discrimination/harassment.

Corcoran v. The City of Chicago: The Plaintiff, a patrol officer with the Chicago Police Department was a witness to a racial slur being used by his sergeant and directed toward his partner, an African American officer. The Chicago Police Department retaliated by, among other things, placing the Plaintiff on the punishment car. The jury awarded a large sum purely for emotional distress.

Large, confidential settlement in case against Union.

Confidential: Breach of the duty of fair representation occurred when nineteen (19) Plaintiffs failed to receive raises after their union failed to timely send a wage re-opener letter to their employer. The union’s failure to timely send notice to the Plaintiffs’ employer resulted in substantial lost wages. Plaintiffs obtained summary judgment against the union in federal court.

Jury verdict of $550,000.

Overby v. Chevron: Wrongful termination case based upon illegal random drug searches predicated upon California’s constitutional right to privacy. The California Supreme Court denied certiorari.

Case settled for $55,000, plus an additional large confidential settlement against the employment agency who employed Plaintiff.

Vivian Wilson v. Department of Veteran Affairs: Sexual harassment and retaliatory discharge case. Plaintiff was sexually harassed by her co-worker and by a high-ranking supervisor at the Department of Veteran Affairs, Jesse Brown Medical Center. After complaining to other supervisors and finally going to the police when the harassment became physical, she was terminated.

Significant, confidential settlement.

Roberts et al. v. PCA Inc.: Racial discrimination case on behalf of nineteen (19) African-American employees who alleged discrimination in all phases of their employment.

Verdict of $243,618.

Loeb v. P.T.O. Sales: Trial resulted in a verdict of $243,618, in a wrongful termination case based upon a breach of contract. The award was the full value of the contract damages.

$122,343.64 award, including attorneys’ fees and costs.

Cruzado v. Rose Exterminator Co. Inc.: ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) case on behalf of mentally challenged person who was fired from his job as an exterminator. He had falsified an application to obtain the job, but was a good employee. The jury found that he was fired because of his “mental handicap.”

Confidential settlement.

Sheri Crampton v. Abbott Laboratories: Wrongful termination/breach of contract case on behalf of a woman who was terminated for alleged performance based reasons. Case settled after summary judgment motions (with an order in a published opinion).

Case settled for a large confidential sum.

Confidential: Harassment, discrimination and retaliation case in which four African American Plaintiffs were subjected to severe racial and sexual statements in their workplace. After reporting these statements the Plaintiffs were denied promotions and removed from higher paying positions.

Confidential settlement in sexual harassment case.

Confidential: Undocumented worker was sent by a staffing company to work in a factory where she and many other women were sexually harassed by their supervisor. Case settled against the staffing company while in the Illinois Human Rights Commission.

Substantial pre-litigation settlement in equal pay act case.

Confidential: High-ranking, female employee at a well-known company alleged that for years she had been paid less than her comparable male colleagues. The matter was settled for a sizable sum in mediation before a lawsuit was ever filed.

Case settled for a confidential sum.

Confidential: Discrimination and retaliation case in which the Plaintiff was terminated 5 days after she reported harassing statements and slurs made by a patient she was treating to upper management.