$3.5 Million Jury Verdict Involving Diagnosis Error Receives Media Coverage

The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin in a Sept. 27, 2016, article by Lauraann Wood detailed a $3.5 million award by a Cook County jury that was obtained by Francis P. Morrissey of Wise Morrissey, LLC.

The award went to the estate of a 17-year-old boy who died from congestive heart failure after being misdiagnosed with pneumonia at St. James Hospital in Chicago Heights, Illinois.

According to Morrissey, although pneumonia and congestive heart failure can present similar symptoms in patients, other tests showed declining liver and kidney function and an enlarged heart, which are not typically associated with pneumonia.

The amount of the award will be reduced to $2 million because the plaintiff, Latisha Bellows, had reached a high-low agreement with the defendants in the case. The agreement stipulated that she would get a minimum of $400,000 to a maximum of $2 million depending on the jury award in the case. As a result, the plaintiff will receive the full insurance policy amount from the defendants she sued.

For detailed information about the case of Latisha Bellows v. Abed Elkader Dehnee, M.D. et al., 12 L 1598, please view the Law Bulletin reprint.

Since 2009, Morrissey has been recognized as an Illinois Super Lawyer. He also has been named a Leading Lawyer by his Illinois peers in both general personal injury law and professional malpractice. For more biographical information, please view Frank Morrissey’s professional credentials and ‘s professional credentials..