Practice Area: Medical Negligence & Healthcare

Brian Henry recently lectured to computer animation and medical illustrators at the UIC Medical Center regarding demonstrative trial exhibits. Using real-world examples of medical illustrations and medical animations, Brian demonstrated how trial exhibits can effectively educate jurors to the anatomy and/or the medical procedure and to aid experts in explaining their opinions in a trial.

Sommer Luzynczyk and Kayla Condeni win dismissal with prejudice based on lack of standing in a putative class action lawsuit against the estate of a deceased physician. The lawsuit brought in the Circuit Court of Cook County alleged a pattern of conduct extending back 29+ years and involved the alleged failure to administer routine childhood …

Brian Henry recently was a guest lecturer at the University of Chicago Medical Center for emergency medicine resident physicians covering multiple medical liability topics . This was the 49th year of this seminar and Mr. Henry has been a guest lecturer for more than 30 years.

  Pretzel & Stouffer attorneys, Michael Barry, Rich Burgland, Tom Draths, and Matthew Reddy, were named emerging lawyers by Leading Lawyers Magazine. Click here to learn more about their practices that span insurance coverage, professional liability defense, commercial litigation, medical malpractice and general tort defense  

  Pretzel & Stouffer shareholder, Brian Henry, lectured last week at UIC John Marshall Law School in the Medical Malpractice course taught by Professor Marc Ginsberg. Brian has lectured in that course for the past three years. Click here to learn about the firm’s practice in the defense of medical negligence matters.

  Kayla Condeni, whose practice focuses on medical malpractice matters, explains the First’s District’s holding in Sparger v. Yamini. The First District of the Appellate Court of Illinois recently held in Sparger v. Yamini, 2019 IL App (1st), 180566, that where a plaintiff claims a neurological brain injury, rather than a psychological injury, the plaintiff …

Pretzel & Stouffer partner, Matthew Reddy, recently published an article in the Professional Liability Defense Federation Quarterly (PLDF) addressing the interaction between the doctor-patient privilege and attorney-client privilege.

Pretzel & Stouffer partners, Rich Burgland and Donald Eckler, filed an amicus brief in the Illinois Supreme Court in support of the petitioner in Crim v. Dietrich on behalf of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel. This case deals with whether a party is required to file a post-trial motion to preserve issues decided …

Pretzel & Stouffer partners, Alan Schumacher, Sommer Luzynczyk, and Michael A. Barry, recently spoke at UIC Perinatal Center’s 1st Neonatal Conference – Do We Know What We Don’t Know in Patient Safety. Alan, Sommer, and Michael presented on the topic of the legal implications of open disclosure in the face of poor outcomes.

Brian Henry and Sommer Luzynczyk obtained a jury verdict in favor of a resident physician and an intern who allegedly failed to timely diagnose and treat a necrotizing MRSA skin infection in a nine-day-old neonate. The plaintiff argued that the defendants failed to appreciate that an area of discoloration and redness on the infant’s front and lateral chest …

Pretzel & Stouffer partners, Brian T. Henry and Michael A. Barry, successfully defended a pulmonologist against a wrongful death claim by the family of a woman who alleged that the defendant failed to timely diagnose the decedent’s lung cancer, which later spread to the decedent’s brain and caused her death. At trial, the plaintiff contended that given the …

The Appellate Court of Illinois has affirmed summary judgment for several doctors and professional corporations finding that the trial court properly found no genuine issue of material fact as to whether any of the defendants proximately caused the plaintiff’s injury. Robert Marc Chemers and Scott L. Howie of Pretzel & Stouffer prepared and defended the appellate brief on behalf …

Sommer Luzynczyk has been invited to speak at the Illinois State Bar Association’s “Anatomy of a Medical Negligence Trial” seminar, which will feature attorneys speaking on the various aspects of a medical negligence trial. Sommer will speak on the topic of motions in limine and will provide insight on how to limit evidence a plaintiff can …

Pretzel & Stouffer Partner Brian C. Rocca and Michael A. Barry successfully defended a surgeon against a wrongful death claim by the family of a woman who was admitted to the hospital for respiratory distress, diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, and placed on blood thinners. She developed a rectus sheath hematoma, and Plaintiff alleged that she bled to death because …

Pretzel & Stouffer partner Brian C. Rocca and Michael A. Barry successfully defended an ENT surgeon in a case brought by the family of a woman who at the age of 32 underwent sinus and septal surgery and allegedly contracted bacterial meningitis the next day. She was a high-level master’s degreed biomedical engineer who claimed to have permanent brain …

Edward B. Ruff, a Partner, and frequent speaker spoke at this year’s FDCC Winter Meeting in San Diego, CA. Ed spoke to conference attendees during two separate meetings. During a plenary session, Ed spoke on the “Fantastic Voyage” of how the use of nanotechnology in the medical arena will impact medical liability claims in the future. …

Richard Waris and Tom Draths obtained a complete dismissal for their pharmacy client, which was defending against claims of negligence and breach of implied warranty in relation to a product liability prescription drug case. The dismissal came as the customer was involved in a nationwide class action lawsuit regarding the side-effects of the specific medication. Mr. …

Brian Henry recently taught at the annual Medical Legal Seminar for emergency medicine residents at the University of Chicago Medical Center. This week-long seminar has been held annually for more than 40 years and Mr. Henry has taught for a day at that seminar for close to 30 years.

Donald J. O’Meara, Jr. obtained dismissal of a multi-count medical negligence lawsuit brought by a plaintiff physician against a Chicago-area internist. The Plaintiff, a neurosurgery resident at an out-of-state medical center, alleged that he underwent an evaluation by a multi-disciplinary medical team comprised of Chicago-area physicians. The medical team had been retained by the Plaintiff’s employer …

Matt Egan recently obtained summary judgment on behalf of a hospital client in a case of alleged apparent agency. The Arabic-speaking plaintiff patient claimed to not be able to read English, and he had no prior relationship with the independently employed physician who was alleged to be the hospital’s apparent agent. The plaintiff claimed the physician …

Equity Partner Dan Mills was a featured speaker for the Illinois Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (ISEP) and Chicago Ophthalmology Society (COS) Seminar entitled, “Academy Rules of Ethics: A Sword and Shield in Litigation” on March 7, 2014. The presentation involved a mock trial for several hundred physicians.