Alan Schumacher and Alexander Beehler obtain not guilty verdict on behalf of an interventional radiologist

Alan Schumacher and Alexander Beehler obtained a not guilty verdict on behalf of an interventional radiologist and his employer following a jury trial in Cook County. The case involved an allegedly negligent tunneled dialysis catheter exchange procedure for a 42-year-old woman who suffered a decompensation shortly after the procedure. The plaintiff claimed the post-procedure application of a coagulant drug entered the patient’s circulatory system and caused the decompensation. The decedent suffered a brain injury and spent approximately six months in a vegetative state before her passing.

Al and Alex successfully defended the interventional radiologist by demonstrating that the procedure was completed within the standard of care, and that the allegedly improper application of the coagulant drug did not proximately cause the decompensation. The plaintiff asked the jury to award $7.47 million in favor of the estate of the decedent. The jury returned with a verdict in favor of the defense and against the plaintiff.