In 2009, Stephen M. Passen and Matthew A. Passen of Passen & Powell secured a $900,000 medical malpractice / wrongful death settlement on behalf of the family of a 59-year-old man who died after his primary care physician failed to adequately diagnose and respond to his complaints.
The man e-mailed his primary care physician describing his symptoms and stating he had “never felt worse in his life.” The defendant doctor replied via e-mail diagnosing the man’s condition and prescribing certain home remedies. The doctor never recommended the man come to his office for an in-person examination or go to the emergency room if his condition worsened. The man died days later of a bacterial infection.
Passen & Powell was able to settle this lawsuit on behalf of the man’s family after only taking the depositions of the parties, which is almost unheard of in this era of medical malpractice litigation — in which the defense typically waits until the eve of trial (several years after the case is filed) to settle.
Click to see mention of this case in the Cook County Jury Reporter.
