SBH Attorneys Jenny Blake and Lauren Reyes Successfully Defend OB-GYN

SBH partner Jenny Blake and associate Lauren Reyes successfully defended an OB/GYN during nearly a month-long trial. The case involved a 40-year-old patient who became pregnant via IVF and was subsequently diagnosed with a cesarean scar pregnancy, placenta previa, and placenta accreta spectrum.  This eventually led to a termination of the pregnancy and the need for a hysterectomy, which was a known risk of the patient's condition.  The plaintiffs claimed the physician failed to timely refer the patient to a specialist and failed to read her medical records from the co-defendant, IVF physician, which plaintiffs claimed would have led to a sooner diagnosis.  Plaintiffs claimed that had the patient been adequately informed and counseled, the pregnancy would have been terminated sooner, and the patient’s fertility would have been preserved.  The defense argued the defendant physician timely referred the patient to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist within a few weeks of initiating care with the patient.  The defense further argued the physician’s counseling of the patient was timely and appropriate.  The patient was repeatedly counseled by several physicians, including the defendant, regarding the nature and severity of her conditions and chose to continue with the pregnancy until she suffered the complications she had been warned about.  The plaintiffs asked the jury to award over $10 million. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty. The case was tried in Cook County Circuit Court before The Honorable Robert F. Harris.