Romanucci & Blandin, LLC Secure First MRSA Case Victory in Illinois 

Romanucci & Blandin, LLC today announced a $300,000 ruling in favor of their client, Joseph Zangara, who was suspected to have contracted Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) when he went into Christ Advocate Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois for cardiac bypass surgery in 2005. This verdict is the first against a hospital system in the state of Illinois in favor of a patient who contracted MRSA.

"The court’s ruling is an incredibly significant victory for my client Mr. Zangara who has suffered horribly over the last 10 years after having contracted this infectious disease,” said Stephan D. Blandin, Principal and Partner at Romanucci & Blandin, LLC. “Furthermore this verdict is a step in the right direction for those fighting to hold our healthcare systems accountable for proper patient care.”

Since acquiring MRSA 12 years ago, Mr. Zangara has struggled with a host of health issues including, bi-monthly episodes of leaking from his wound site and chronic chest pain following his debridement surgery where part of his mediastinum was shaved off in an attempt to rid him of the infectious disease.

“This case points to a significant flaw in our healthcare system to ensure patients receive quality care in a safe environment, and places an unduly restraint on patients' and their families' capacity to hold healthcare providers accountable for failing to establish patient-centric operating procedures,” added Blandin. “The facilities responsible for keeping patients healthy should never be the cause for their illness. I am hopeful that this ruling will help to instigate procedural changes in the medical center’s operations in the interests of patients’ health and well-being."

This positive jury verdict comes on the heels of surviving two appeals and years of denial for any accountability from Advocate Christ. “Our firm is hopeful that this ground-breaking ruling in Judge Budzinski’s court will shine a light on the need for greater oversight in not only our states’, but country’s healthcare system,” added Jared Wise, Associate at Romanucci & Blandin, LLC.

The lawsuit is civil action No: 2011 L 11135