CBA Record November-December 2023

Medical Negligence Case Referred Through Lawyer Referral Service Settles for $1.025 Million By Ann Glynn, CBA Public Affairs Director T he Lawyer Referral Service, a non profit public service of the CBA, remains a valuable resource for the to be seen by a hand surgeon. He was seen immediately by the trauma team, which alerted the hand surgeon to the patient’s arrival.

Michael Gill

amputation of two fingers. From the $1.025 million settlement, the CBA received a check for $51,000 as its referral fee, pursuant to its rules. The monies the CBA received are used to fund the LRS program and other services in the CBA’s ongoing efforts to make jus tice accessible for all. Among these efforts are the CBA’s “Call a Lawyer” program sponsored through the Lawyer Referral Service, making attorneys available to take calls from the public at no charge on the third Saturday of every month. CBA members and non-members are encouraged to refer clients to the LRS or consider joining the service to obtain legal referrals. For more information on the LRS program or to apply to become a member, visit lrs.chicagobar.org or contact LRS Director Juli Vyverberg at jvyverberg@chicagobar.org.

public to obtain vetted legal assistance and a crucial source of legal referrals for CBA members and non-members. LRS attor neys average 20 years in practice and are experienced in more than 40 areas of law. The LRS achieved a recent success in May 2023 when LRS attorney Michael Gill of Pfaff, Gill & Ports, Ltd., who represents persons injured or killed by the negli gence of others, settled a medical negli gence case for $1.025 million. The plaintiff, while working at a lime stone quarry, injured his hand when his glove became entangled while cleaning a limestone auger. He presented to an Emergency Department at a Northern Indiana hospital with an open wound contaminated with lime. He was trans ferred that day to a Chicago-area hospital

The hand surgeon advised the team to clean and bandage the wound and direct the patient to the hand surgeon’s office two days later. The trauma team tried unsuccessfully to get the hand surgeon to see the patient that day, tried to find another hand surgeon to see the patient that day, and eventually admitted the patient to the hospital. The original hand surgeon arrived the next morning and operated to clean out the contaminated wound, but the caustic agent had already severely damaged the plaintiff’s tendons. The hand surgeon’s failure to see the patient on the day he arrived in the Chi cago-area hospital was determined to be negligent and a proximate cause of the plaintiff’s subsequent 21 surgeries and

NEW JUDICIAL ELECTION/CAMPAIGN GUIDANCE AVAILABLE The Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee has published new guidance on ethical issues that candidates running for judicial office frequently encounter. The document, titled Judicial Election/Campaign FAQs, has been updated to reflect the new Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct of 2023, which took effect on January 1 of this year. The upcoming campaign cycle is the first one to occur since the new Code was enacted. number of common questions asked by judges and other candidates running for judicial office. These include issues related to circulating nominating petitions, raising money, forming campaign committees, making and receiving endorsements, advertising, and campaigning with other candidates. The Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee is a joint committee of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the Illinois Judges Association. The Committee, chaired by Steven Pflaum, was formed more than 30 years ago. It authors opinions on issues of judicial ethics and accepts inquiries from judges and judicial candidates related to ethical issues. The IJEC can be reached at (312-431-1283) or by email at info@ija.org. The FAQs, found on the Illinois Judges Association website at www.ija.org/ illinois-judicial-ethics-committee-judicial-election-campaign-faqs, address a

10 November/December 2023