On November 22, 2021, Matthew Arnold secured a not guilty verdict in favor of his client Riverside Medical Center after a three-week trial before Judge Adrienne Albrecht in Kankakee Illinois. The jury specifically found HSPRD’s client “not liable” for medical negligence.
The plaintiff, the pregnant mother of twin male fetuses alleged that nurses at Riverside Medical Center improperly interpreted fetal monitoring strips and provided incorrect information to the codefendant obstetricians, leading to the death of her twin fetuses. Plaintiff also alleged the improper information prevented her from being transferred to a higher level of care and prevented her from being diagnosed with twin anemia polycythemia syndrome, a rare blood disorder.
At trial, Matt argued that the nurses appropriately interpreted the fetal monitoring strips and provided accurate and important information to the defendant obstetricians who made the correct decision not to transfer the plaintiff to a higher level of care. Matt also argued that twin anemia polycythemia syndrome did not cause the death of the fetuses. Rather it was caused by chorioamnionitis, a sub clinical infection the obstetricians could not have been aware of.
Plaintiff’s counsel requested 12.6 million from the jury. The jury deliberated for less than 12 hours and returned a verdict in favor of the hospital.
