$1.1
Million Verdict Returned In Dental Malpractice Case
(As
reported In Brief)
A Winnebago County jury has awarded a Rockford woman $1,172,728.03
in a dental malpractice case. It is the largest dental
malpractice verdict ever awarded in Illinois, according
to the plaintiff's attorney, Kurt D. Lloyd.
Dorothy A. Hicks went to oral surgeon John F Wonderlick
in 1987 to have a tooth pulled. Wonderlick's assistant
checked the woman's blood pressure and then Wonderlick gave
the woman seven milligrams of valium over 90 seconds and
80 milligrams of sodium brevital over five seconds to anesthetize
her for 10 minutes.
Wonderlick pulled the tooth and left the room. One
of his two dental assistants felt for Hicks' pulse and tried
to wake her, then left the room. The other dental
assistant remained in the room and watched the patient's
breathing, but did not monitor her vital signs again.
One-half hour after the drugs had been administered, Hicks
had a cardiac arrest. She was revived in two minutes,
but suffered irreversible brain damage.
In 1989, Hicks attorney Kurt Lloyd filed a suit against
Wonderlick and Rockford Oral Surgery Ltd.
Hick's lawyers said Wonderlick administered the sodium brevital
at eight times the recommended rate of speed. They
also argued that the doctor and assistants failed to monitor
vital signs and the dentist left the room while the patient
was still unconscious.
Wonderlick and Rockford Oral Surgery Ltd. were represented
by Lawrence Kream of Kostantacos, Traum, Reuterfors &
McWilliams in Rockford. They contended that the dentist
and his assistants monitored Hicks in conformance with the
normal standard of care. They also said the rate of
injection of the sodium brevital was proper and the doctor
did not violate the standard of care by leaving the room.
The plaintiff's attorneys had asked the jury to award about
$3 million. The trial lasted six days. The jury
was out for about four hours before reaching its verdict
on Dec. 19. Judge Harris Agnew presided in the case,
Dorothy A. Hicks v. John F. Wonderlick, D.D.S.
and Rockford Oral Surgery Ltd., No. 89 L 21.
