Hinshaw Legal Team Secures Defense Verdict in $6 Million Medical Malpractice Case

Hinshaw attorneys Jeff Spears and Jessica Cushard of the firm's Rockford office successfully tried to verdict a medical malpractice case on behalf of a hospital in Winnebago County, Illinois. 

The patient, a 35 year old female, presented to the hospital for a lower extremity Doppler ultrasound ordered by an outside healthcare provider to rule out a deep venous thrombosis. A hospital employed sonographer performed the Doppler ultrasound and provided a preliminary impression that the study was "normal." Plaintiff alleged the hospital was negligent through its employee in issuing a preliminary report that the study was "normal" when the sonographer found reduced flow in two veins. Plaintiff also sued the physician who ordered the ultrasound as well as the physician who interpreted the ultrasound. Hinshaw's defense team successfully argued that the sonographer met the standard of care and that the Doppler ultrasound showed no clot was present, which was the main reason for the study. Plaintiff asked the jury for $6 million in total damages for the wrongful death and for survival pain and suffering. 

Following a two week trial, the jury took just two and a half hours to return a defense verdict in favor of Hinshaw's client as well as the two co-defendant doctors.