A 63-year-old retired operating engineer settled his lawsuit against a Chicagoland hospital regarding medical negligence that resulted in a below the knee amputation of his left leg. On 6/18/19, Plaintiff suffered a motorcycle accident resulting in multiple injuries including open left tibia/fibulas fractures. He underwent orthopedic fixation and a latissimus dorsi free flap on 7/2/19 as a salvage procedure in an attempt to save his left leg. On 7/7/19 the flap was noted to have a hematoma. On 7/8/19 Plaintiff was brought back to the operating room where the flap was noted to be partially necrotic with a foul smell. Approximately 50% of the flap needed to be surgically removed due to necrosis. Because there was recurrent exposed bone, Plaintiff subsequently underwent a below the knee amputation on 7/11/19. The lack of adequate flap monitoring by the hospital staff allowed blood flow into and/or out of the flap to be compromised for a period of time long enough for half of the flap to become necrotic.
$2,000,000.00 was paid by the self-insured hospital. David J. Gallagher of Napleton & Partners, represented the patient.
Napleton & Partners
