SBH Attorneys Mark Smith, Greta Powell, and Jack Moore Successfully Defend Vascular Surgeons and Practice

SBH partners Mark Smith and Greta Powell, along with associate Jack Moore, successfully defended two vascular surgeons and their practice.  The case involved the management of the 55-year-old patient’s enlarging abdominal aortic aneurysm.  The plaintiff voluntarily dismissed one of the surgeons at the beginning of the trial.  The plaintiff claimed the remaining defendant inappropriately delayed surgery and missed an opportunity to prevent rupture of the aneurysm.  Before surgery could be performed the aneurysm ruptured, requiring emergency surgery followed by two additional surgeries to attempt to address ongoing bleeding.  The patient arrested and later died.  The defense argued it was appropriate to delay the surgery in order for the patient to undergo outpatient optimization from a cardiopulmonary standpoint rather than keeping him hospitalized at a time of great uncertainty during the Covid pandemic.  The plaintiff asked the jury to award over $9,000,000.  The jury returned a verdict of not guilty.  The case was tried in Cook County Circuit Court before The Honorable Preston Jones Jr.