Hinshaw Legal Team Secures Defense Verdict in $1.25 Million Medical Malpractice Case

A trio of Hinshaw attorneys based in the firm's Belleville office—Jason Winslow, who spearheaded trial efforts, Jeff Glass, and Blair Keltner—successfully tried to verdict a medical malpractice case on behalf of a radiologist and his employer in Madison County, Illinois. 

The patient, a 68 year old female, presented with a history of low back pain and radiculopathy following a lifting injury. Hinshaw's client radiologist interpreted an MRI of the lumbar spine, which showed a herniated/ruptured disc at the L5-S1 level as well as severe degenerative changes throughout the lumbar spine. A subsequent MRI performed one month later revealed a spinal epidural abscess and generalized infection, which resulted in the patient undergoing a multi-level laminectomy and microdiscectomy procedure with significant rehabilitative care thereafter. Plaintiff alleged that the client failed to appreciate signs of a spinal infection on the prior MRI. Hinshaw's defense team argued that the doctor met the standard of care and that the infection was in fact not present on the date of the initial MRI. Plaintiff asked the jury for $1.25 million in total damages for disfigurement, pain and suffering, loss of a normal life, medical damages, and lost wages.

Following a six-day trial, the jury took just one and a half hours to return a complete defense verdict in favor of Hinshaw's clients.