Marni Slavick and Kipp Cornell obtained a defense verdict on behalf of a local hospital system and a general surgeon, following a 9-day trial in the Circuit Court of Cook County. Plaintiff with Crohn’s Disease sought surgical treatment from the defendant surgeon who performed a laparoscopic parastomal hernia repair which he converted to an open procedure intraoperatively upon discovering difficult anatomy. Plaintiff claimed that post-operatively she developed significant complications related to the surgeon’s approach and surgical management. Plaintiff further claimed that the next 3.5 years of treatment she required were a consequence of the failed hernia repair. The defense presented evidence that the plaintiff required the hernia repair, and it was performed properly, but despite surgery she had chronic underlying issues with her Crohn’s Disease which caused her subsequent infection and need for ongoing care. During closing arguments, the plaintiff’s attorney asked the jury to award $4.37 million in damages. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendant surgeon and local hospital system.
Following that victory, Marni and Kip started another trial where 7 days later, they secured a defense verdict on behalf of a local hospital system and a general surgeon, in the Circuit Court of Cook County. The plaintiff-patient developed an incisional hernia following a Whipple procedure and sought surgical treatment from the defendant-surgeon who recommended and performed a laparoscopic incisional hernia repair. Plaintiff claimed that the surgeon caused a bowel perforation during the operative procedure. Plaintiff further claimed that this intraoperative perforation caused him to require a repair procedure, prolonged his recovery and caused him to require a subsequent hernia repair surgery. The defense presented evidence that the perforation occurred in the post-operative period following the plaintiff’s discharge from the hospital. The defense further asserted that the perforation could not have been appreciated or repaired during the surgery. Plaintiff’s attorney asked the jury to award $1.4 million in damages in closing arguments. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendant surgeon and local hospital system. This verdict was the second of back to back defense victories for Marni Slavick and Kipp Cornell in the past month