Chicago Medical Malpractice  Lawyers at Romanucci & Blandin, LLC Reach $925,000 Dollar Settlement for a Medical Negligence Lawsuit Highlighting the Dangers of Aortic Dissection

Personal injury law firm, Romanucci & Blandin, announced the $925,000- dollar settlement of a medical negligence lawsuit today on behalf of their client, Barbara Mini, for a lawsuit involving her deceased husband, Joseph Mini who lost his life on January 25, 2010 after his aortic dissection was allegedly not timely diagnosed by Ira Asher, MD and La Grange Memorial Hospital in La Grange, Illinois.

A dedicated 51-year-old electric worker and family man, Joseph Mini was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers, Local #9 in Westchester, Illinois. He began his day on January 25, 2010 as any, climbing into his truck to begin his work. Upon reaching for an overhead light, Mini felt a sharp, sudden onset of severe back pain which lead him to contact his chiropractor, who in -turn contacted his primary care physician believing the issue was cardiovascular related. Both agreed that Mini should visit the emergency room immediately which lead him to La Grange Memorial Hospital. There Mini was worked-up for back pain, and waited over two hours before a CT scan was ordered, which would confirm or rule out that he was suffering from an aortic dissection. While Mini presented with the signs and symptoms of aortic dissection from the moment he entered the hospital, Dr. Asher did not properly consider the disease, did not act with the urgency required, and did not act in a timely manner, leaving no opportunity for a surgical procedure to take place which could have saved Mini’s life. Dr. Asher and LaGrange Memorial Hospital claimed that they acted reasonably and with the proper urgency given the symptoms Mini presented with, and that, given the extent of the dissection Mini had, any delay in diagnosis and treatment of the dissection did not cause or contribute to his death.

According to the American Heart Association, aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition that occurs when blood leaks from the aorta, the major artery that carries blood from the heart to the body. The leak is often caused by a tear in the inside wall of the aorta. The most common symptom of aortic dissection is sudden and severe chest pain or upper back pain. The mortality rate is as high as 80% if untreated, and increases 1-5% per hour over the first several hours, making early diagnosis and treatment critical for survival. “Given Joseph Mini’s presented symptoms and knowing that the only way of diagnosing an aortic dissection was through imaging, the CT scan should have been performed hours earlier,” said plaintiff’s attorney, Michael E. Holden, Senior Associate at Romanucci & Blandin, LLC.

“While this monetary compensation is small comfort to Barbara Mini and her family to assist with the remaining medical bills, the settlement brings closure and more importantly, accountability to Dr. Asher, nurses and staff at La Grange Memorial Hospital who should have provided her husband with a timelier diagnosis and the proper medical care that was expected of them,” noted plaintiff’s attorney, Stephan Blandin, principal and partner at Romanucci & Blandin, LLC. “It is our hope that pursuing cases like these will bring greater attention to both the threat of aortic dissection and the greater issue of medical negligence.”