Winters Salzetta O'Brien & Richardson, LLC

$40M

Medical Malpractice

A man suffered a stroke after his doctors failed to properly treat his symptoms. He saw his doctor at Advocate Physician Partners after a spike in his blood pressure in 2015. Rather than ordering tests, an EKG, a simple blood test, or prescribing blood pressure medication, the doctor sent the man home after 'diagnosing' him with the flu. A few weeks later, the man suffered a stroke and now is largely disabled, requiring round-the-clock care. The man suffers from aphasia.

$35.8M

Automobile Accident

This jury verdict was ruled in favor of a 51-year-old mother of two who sustained severe brain stem injury causing quadriplegia and cranial nerve injuries when she was broadsided by a Cook County Sheriff’s police officer traveling through a red light at approximately 70 miles per hour while en route to a low-priority 'unwanted subject' call as an un-requested backup unit. The plaintiff was required to prove, and the jury found, that the officer’s conduct was willful and wanton. The defendant claimed that the officer was on an emergency call and was justified in her actions when going through the intersection. Attorney Paul Salzetta was able to exclude evidence of alcohol use due to unreliable testing and a showing that the client was not impaired and that alcohol played no part in the collision. This is one of the largest jury verdicts ever obtained against Cook County or any municipality in the state of Illinois.

$15M

Construction Negligence

A 49-year-old window glazer sustained skull, facial, and scapular fractures when a deteriorating and unstable limestone wall fell on him from several stories above. Investigation uncovered that months prior to the wall collapse, an engineering report informed the construction site’s developer and general contractor that the anchors attaching the limestone façade to the underlying structural wall had failed from years of deterioration. As roofers removed an iron gutter from the roof line, the limestone wall collapsed and fell three stories below onto the glazer as he worked measuring windows on a ladder.

$12M

Medical Malpractice

A disabled combat Vietnam Veteran underwent oral surgery at Hines V. A. Hospital. He had a severe non-ischemic cardiomyopathy with a low ejection fraction. Hines V. A. Hospital failed to perform an adequate pre-operative evaluation, did not properly monitor blood pressure, and ignored recommendations for an automatic internal defibrillator. He experienced a cardiac event during surgery, leading to severe brain damage and requiring 24-hour nursing care. The settlement will establish two trusts for his benefit. The total settlement value is $16,893,290.00, including medical care.

$11M

Birth Injury

A 38-week-old baby girl was born at Chicago area hospital with neonatal depression. The labor and delivery team negligently monitored fetal heart tracings, failed to properly interpret them, and improperly continued Pitocin administration in the presence of non-reassuring tracings and uterine hyperstimulation. This resulted in birth hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and birth asphyxia. The girl, now age 14, has cerebral palsy spastic quadriparesis, preventing her from walking, speaking, or feeding herself. A timely cesarean section could have prevented her brain damage.

$10.2M

Medical Malpractice

An Illinois jury found in favor of a man whose right leg was negligently amputated at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights. The 49-year-old man was involved in a motor vehicle accident in 2017. His doctor failed to perform normal tests, including a pre- and intra-operative angiogram. The doctor also failed to check for leg artery clots and failed to place an arterial shunt. The doctor further failed to return the patient to the operating room when there was no pulse or sensation in the ICU, resulting in a lack of blood flow and the necessity of removing the leg above the knee.