Meyers & Flowers wins historic $6.2 million Medical Malpractice Verdict for 71-year-old Kane County Man whose leg was Amputated above the Knee due to Avoidable Medical Errors
Meyers & Flowers announced today a historic $6,291,002 medical malpractice verdict for a needless above-knee amputation in Bill Hein vs. Kate Onyibor and Inpatient Consultants of Illinois, P.C. in Kane County, Illinois. This represents one of the largest verdicts for an injury of its kind in Kane County.
Craig Brown and Jonathan Mincieli, Meyers & Flowers Partners, filed suit for the Heins after Bill Hein’s leg had to be amputated above the knee due to a blood clot behind the knee which was not diagnosed in a timely manner. The jury awarded the decision to the 71-year-old Hein and his wife for pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of normal life, emotional distress, loss of consortium, and reasonable expense of necessary medical care.
On July 11, 2012, Mr. Hein checked into Sherman Hospital in Elgin, Illinois, for a routine prostate cancer surgery. As he was recovering from surgery, hospitalist, Dr. Kate Onyibor, breached the standard of care when she failed to act with the appropriate level of urgency after suspecting an arterial blood clot behind the knee and failing to order an emergency consultation with a vascular surgeon. Because of a lack of arterial blood flow to the leg, Mr. Hein’s leg had to be amputated above the knee 12 days later.
“The Heins never thought a standard prostate cancer procedure could go so horribly wrong,” said Craig Brown, Meyers & Flowers Partner. “Every day, they continue to grapple with Bill’s loss of independence and emotional distress. With this verdict, they will be able to help Bill with his ongoing medical needs and recover some of his independence as well as, hopefully, help other families from having to face avoidable medical tragedies like these.”
The former Marine and Vietnam veteran has lived and worked in Kane County for more than 50 years. The Heins owned a local landscaping company for more than 22 years and were on the verge of retiring when they learned his leg had to be amputated. Mr. Hein has spent the last six years recovering and rebuilding his life. To this day, he continues to suffer from depression, and can only use his prosthetic leg with the assistance of a walker.
“We have had the privilege of helping the Hein family take the vital steps to protect themselves as we aggressively represented their rights both today and work to assist them with their many medical needs in the future,” said Jonathan Mincieli, Meyers & Flowers Partner.
For more information about medical malpractice claims, contact us today at [email protected], or at (630) 232-6333.