Last week, a Cook County jury awarded a 72-year-old lawyer, Craig Pierce, a remarkable $41 million in a case involving maladministration of medication which resulted in a cerebral artery stroke. The trial marks the largest judgment in Illinois for a medical malpractice case with a plaintiff over 70.
Pierce, a criminal defense attorney, had the case brought to court on his behalf by attorneys from Hurley McKenna & Mertz in Chicago. The defendants in the case included the Peoria-based OSF HealthCare System, an Illinois nephrologist, a kidney care corporation, and a dialysis service. The lawsuit revolves around the wrongful management of Pierce’s blood thinning medication, Coumadin, which consequently led to a severe stroke in 2016. Coumadin, also known by its generic name – warfarin, is a commonly prescribed anticoagulant.
Christopher Hurley, a founding partner at Hurley McKenna & Mertz, stated that the jury’s verdict is somewhat bittersweet for Craig Pierce and his family. Despite the significant financial award, the damage incurred through Pierce’s injury and loss of ability to function independently and practice law has imparted a profound devastation on the family.