Justia Lawyer Rating for Robert D. Kreisman

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It is predicted that the number of Americans with diabetes would nearly double over the next 25 years. At the same time, the cost of care would almost triple as patients live longer and develop more of the disease’s long-term complications.

A University of Chicago researcher, Dr. Elbert S. Huang, the lead author of a recent paper says that, “In 25 years, there is going to be this convergence of the population getting older but also many people having had diabetes for a long period of time, and that would lead to higher costs”.

The projections estimate that the population of diabetic individuals will rise to 44.1 million by the year 2034. At the present time there are approximately 23.7 million persons afflicted with diabetes with medical spending increasing to $336 billion from $113 billion.

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Thanksgiving is a time to take stock and recognize all the blessings in one’s life and give thanks. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank those people who have had a positive impact on my life during this past year.

First, I would like to thank my family. My wife, sons, mother, and extended family are the center of it all. This past year is full of many wonderful memories and some important milestones. I am thankful for the amazing support system you provide that helps keep me grounded and focused.

And then there is my wonderful staff at Chicago’s Kreisman Law Offices. Without you the day-to-day matters of my firm would not run as smoothly or as expertly. I am thankful for your hard work and upbeat spirit that makes our law office such a positive environment to work in.

And to my clients, who make all of this possible. I know that you have a choice when deciding on an attorney and I want to take the time to thank you for entrusting me with your legal matters. I appreciate the large amount of trust that goes into choosing an attorney and I thank you all for placing your trust in me. I take this trust very seriously and will not let you down.

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Bleeding seems like a simple enough problem to correct. We’ve all had a cut or scrape that has resulted in some sort of bleed and we all know the proper way to stop the bleeding: apply pressure and elevate the area. However, when bleeding is internal it is a completely different matter and can result in severe medical complications or death.

This concept is illustrated by a recent Illinois wrongful death settlement where a hospital’s failure to recognize a brain bleed in a timely manner resulted in this man’s death. The decedent had presented to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital and was admitted to the hospital’s surgical intensive care unit for neurological observation after he sustained a brain injury as a result of hitting his head in a fall. Upon his admission a CT scan showed a small hemorrhage in his brain, which is basically another way of saying he there was a small bleed in his brain.

The plaintiff’s family alleged that the healthcare providers were medically negligent in their failure to recognize the importance of subsequent signs that indicated that this brain bleed had progressed. Further, they alleged that the doctors should have known and acted on those signs in time to prevent permanent damage and death by ordering an operation that would have relieved the increased pressure in the decedent’s brain.

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Motorcycle accidents in Illinois and nationwide are often more severe than car or truck accidents. Due to the nature of motorcycles, the riders are often more vulnerable than those within a car or truck. A recent Illinois motorcycle accident settlement involving a father and daughter illustrates just how dangerous a motorcycle accident can be.

A father and daughter were riding a motorcycle together in Joliet, Illinois when they were struck by a pick-up truck that failed to yield the right of way. The father was driving the motorcycle with his 15 year-old daughter seated behind him; both were thrown from the motorcycle when it was struck by the pick-up truck.

The 15 year-old girl’s ankle was severely broken and the father sustained multiple injuries, including a fractured wrist and ankle. Meanwhile the truck driver sustained little or no injuries. In the two years since the accident the girl has required multiple surgeries and is scheduled for an additional surgery this year that will fuse the bones in her ankle. This fusion surgery will limit her mobility and flexion of her ankle.

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A recent Cook County trucking accident settlement raises some interesting question about driver responsibility. The Cook County wrongful death lawsuit was brought by the family of a 47 year-old Illinois auto worker who was killed in a collision with a truck.

The surviving truck driver was not fluent in English and admittedly could not read English. The truck driver therefore was unable to read highway signs warning drivers that an accident had occurred up ahead and advising them to slow down. The truck driver did not slow down and crashed into the rear end of the decedent’s pick-up truck, which was then propelled forwarded and pinned against the median wall. The decedent was trapped in the vehicle as it ignited in flames.

The decedent’s estate claimed that the truck driver was an employee of Ford Air, Inc. and that the company knew or should have know that the driver could not speak or read English. Federal law requires truck drivers to have enough knowledge of English to be able to converse with a police officer. The idea is that in the event of an accident those with commercial driving licenses should be able to provide details about the chain of events. The truck driver in this case clearly did not meet this federal standard, which the estate claimed contributed to the Cook County trucking accident.

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Last Friday the Chicago Union League Civic & Arts Foundation marked its 60th anniversary celebration with a gala event that featured several of its former Foundation award winners. Chicago civil attorney Robert Kreisman attended the “Showcase of Stars” and was treated to a night of high quality classical music.

The Civic & Arts Foundation (CAF) is dedicated to sponsoring and supporting young artists in the Chicago community. The CAF not only hosts artistic competitions and concerts, but also provides civic services such as legal services, supportive services for recently divorced parents and children, and civic education.

The success of the CAF’s efforts can be seen in the high level that their former award recipients have achieved. Showcasing their talents were performers Rachel Barton Pine, violinist; Wendy Warner, cellist; Nancy Gustafson, soprano; Rodrick Dixon, tenor; and Jonita Lattimore, a soprano with the Chicago’s Children Choir.

Chicago Attorney Robert Kreisman was among the crowd enjoying the fruits of the CFA’s efforts in the form of a beautiful concert. Like many of the attendees he looks forward to another successful 60 years for the CAF and what their future will bring.

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A Cook County resident filed a medical negligence lawsuit against a neurosurgeon and neurologist who allegedly failed to correctly diagnose a cancerous growth on the man’s spine. The delay in the diagnosis allowed the tumor to grow larger, which resulted in partial paralysis and permanent neurological deficits.

This particular Chicago medical malpractice lawsuit demonstrates the importance of a timely diagnosis. A review of the case facts indicates that if this man’s tumor had been diagnosed earlier that his resulting paralysis would not have developed to the same degree of severity. This issue of a delay in diagnosis lies at the center of many Chicago medical negligence cases.

The 50-some year-old male presented to the physicians at NorthShore University Health System, f/k/a Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, with complaints of lower back pain and leg numbness. An MRI was ordered, which did in fact show the cancerous growth on the spine. However, the neurosurgeon didn’t identify the growth and the neurologist reportedly didn’t view the MRI film prior to reaching the incorrect diagnosis.

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According to the Chicago Tribune, since 2001 over 1,000 Toyota and Lexus owners have reported that their cars having suddenly accelerated on their own. Sometimes these runaway cars were found after crashing into trees, parked cars, brick walls, and other obstacles. In fact, some of these crashes have resulted in death with as many as 19 deaths directly related to sudden accelerations reported over the last ten years.

To date there have been no less than eight investigations into the sudden accelerations in Toyota and Lexus cars by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over the last seven years. NHTSA investigated the cases from all angles, including whether there was any product defect responsible for the occurrences.

Toyota recalled around 85,000 vehicles in response to two of those inquiries, but the federal agency closed six other cases without finding a defect. Some of those cases closed by federal officials were those in which drivers said they were unable to stop runaway cars even trying to stop by using their brakes. In spite of the NHTSA closing some of these cases, fatal crashes involving Toyota cars have continued to rise.

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A Cook County birth injury lawsuit that alleged a baby boy had suffered severe brain damage during a delay in his birth was settled. The medical malpractice lawsuit was against Northwest Community Hospital, a nurse midwife, and the midwife’s employer. The case was settled and approved by a Cook County Circuit Court judge.

What was particularly interesting about the case was that the delivery was actually a waterbirth. A waterbirth is a birthing method wherein the mother is immersed in a small pool of warm water. Proponents of this method argue that it is safe and offers improved pain relief for the mother and less trauma for the baby.

In this particular Cook County birth injury case, the baby’s shoulder became trapped during the end of the delivery. The plaintiff alleged that the nurse midwife and assisting nurses did not drain the birth tub quickly enough to use the standard birthing maneuvers to free the baby’s shoulder, and that their actions delayed the baby’s delivery. Any delay in delivery can result in harm to the baby, and in this case the plaintiff alleged that the delay resulted in oxygen deprivation and brain damage in the form of cerebral palsy.

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A jury returned a Chicago medical malpractice verdict for the family of a 45 year-old diabetic woman who died after suffering a cardiopulmonary arrest while in the emergency department of Little Company of Mary Hospital. The woman is survived by two children and a husband.

The decedent’s estate alleged that the Chicago emergency room nurses failed to appropriately triage the patient as “urgent” and to properly monitor her deteriorating physical condition, which it alleged was medical negligence on the part of the Chicago hospital. According to reports, the defendant’s argued at the trial that warning alarms on devices monitoring the patient’s vital signs did not activate to indicate that her condition was worsening toward cardiac and respiratory arrest. However, the jury obviously did not buy into this defense and found that the Chicago emergency room errors had resulted in the decedent’s death.

The woman had severe hyperglycemia when she arrived at the Chicago hospital. Hyperglycemia is a condition in which an excessive amount of glucose/sugar circulates in the blood and is something that the Chicago emergency room staff should evaluate for, especially in those already diagnosed with diabetes. Signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia include high blood glucose levels, high levels of sugar in the urine, frequent urination, and increased thirst. If left untreated hyperglycemia can worsen quickly and develop into a diabetic coma.

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