$3.5 Million Resolution for Three-Year-Old Girl who lost her Leg after malpractice at a Chicago hospital

$3.5 Million Resolution for Three-Year-Old Girl who lost her Leg after malpractice at a Chicago hospital

In 2014, Paige* was born with a rare birth trait, which greatly increased her future risk of cancer. Her parents made the difficult decision to alleviate this risk through a series of complex surgical procedures that began when Paige was just four months old.

After one of these procedures, Paige’s right foot began showing obvious signs of lack of blood flow. Rather than terminating the overall procedure to save her foot, the medical team pushed forward, ignoring the more pressing issue. The family was reassured on several occasions that the appearance of her foot was normal and would improve. The medical team continued to render “treatment” to her dead foot for several weeks before finally obtaining consultation from an outside physician. This physician broke the difficult news to Paige’s parents that her foot was gangrenous, nonviable and required immediate amputation.

At 14 months old, Paige underwent a right foot amputation above the ankle.

The Meyers & Flowers team led by Partner Craig D. Brown devoted countless hours fighting on behalf of Paige and her family. According to Kimberly M. Brancato, “Paige stole my heart from the moment I met her, fearlessly climbing up on our big office chairs with her prosthetic leg. Her mom was forced to quit her dream job to take care of Paige and her two young siblings, while her dad worked three jobs to keep up with Paige’s medical expenses. The fact that Paige, as an innocent 3-year-old, did not comprehend the magnitude of the trauma she went through and could not advocate on her own behalf made us want to fight that much harder.”

After conducting extensive research, three independent focus groups, meeting with medical experts nationwide, and engaging in a day-long mediation, Meyers & Flowers obtained justice for Paige.

“Our goal was to make sure Paige would receive the best medical care for the remaining 75 years of her life,” Craig said. “I could not stand the thought of this little girl dancing at her wedding someday with anything but the most state-of-the-art prosthetic device. It was a privilege to represent Paige and ensure her family no longer needs to worry about the future of her care.”