RWR is pleased to announce that one of its partners, Brandon R. Freud, has been named a 2013 Illinois Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine. To be eligible for consideration as a Rising Star, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger, or in practice for less than 10 years. The list includes fewer than 2.5 percent of the practicing attorneys in Illinois.

RWR congratulates its partner, Tammy L. Wade, on her election for a second two-year term to the Board of Directors of the Chicagoland Healthcare Risk Management Society. Ms. Wade will also serve as Co-Chair of the CHRMS Membership Committee. For the past two years, Ms. Wade has served on the CHRMS Board of Directors as its Co-Chair of the CHRMS Program Committee. Ms. Wade, a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management, continues to focus her law practice on the defense of medical negligence claims on behalf of institutional healthcare systems, community hospitals, physicians, nurses and other medical professionals, and on advising clients on best practices to reduce liability exposure and ensure patient safety in the delivery of health care.

Ruff, Weidenaar & Reidy, in an effort to ensure the protection of our clients' information, has completed a Risk Analysis and implemented Privacy and Security Policies and Procedures in compliance with the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules and the HITECH Act.

RWR is pleased to announce that its partner, Tammy Wade, has achieved the American Hospital Association's recognition as a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management. CPHRM designation evidences mastery of risk management techniques; standards of health care risk management administration; federal, state and local laws affecting the health care environment; and methods for integrating patient safety and enterprise risk management into a comprehensive risk management program. This achievement further reflects RWR's commitment to partnering with its health care clients to implement effective risk management strategies beyond the courtroom.

RWR partners Scott C. Nelson and Todd M. Porter successfully obtained a directed verdict in favor of a surgeon in a recent medical negligence trial. The plaintiff, a 69-year old female patient, died from hemorrhagic pancreatitis shortly after her discharge from the hospital, two days after undergoing rectal prolapse surgery. The plaintiff alleged that the patient's primary care physician and surgeon failed to adequately raise her hemoglobin level prior to surgery, and that a surgical resident at the hospital failed to suspect or diagnose pancreatitis prior to discharging the patient from the hospital. The hospital settled with the plaintiff during trial, and the case proceeded against the primary care physician and the surgeon. The plaintiff sought $2 million, and after more than two days of deliberations, the jury advised that it was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The trial judge then granted the physicians' motions for directed verdict, agreeing with the physicians' argument that the plaintiff had failed to establish that the physicians' conduct was the factual or legal cause of the patient's death from hemorrhagic pancreatitis.

RWR partners Scott Nelson and Tammy Wade successfully defended two internal medicine physicians against claims of negligence in the treatment of neck pain that began when the patient thought he swallowed a chicken bone. After receiving emergency care, primary care and an ENT consultation for throat pain, the patient developed infection, a pseudoaneurysm, and suffered a stroke after surgery. Plaintiff's lawsuit alleged that the defendants were negligent in failing to immediately admit the patient to the hospital; failing to order an emergent CT scan; failing to order an emergent surgical consult; and failing to prescribe IV antibiotics. As a result, the patient developed a pseudoaneurysm, which led to a stroke and need for rehabilitation. The physicians denied that their care and treatment was negligent and denied that any claimed act or omission on their part was a proximate cause of the plaintiff's claimed injuries, contending that nothing in the patient's presentation required immediate hospitalization, an emergent CT scan, an emergent surgical consult or IV antibiotics. The plaintiff sought in excess of $2 million, but the jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendants on all counts.

RWR partners Jack Reidy and Tammy L. Wade successfully obtained a jury verdict in favor of a physician and a health care center in a recent medical negligence trial. The plaintiff alleged that our physician client failed to timely refer the plaintiff to a specialist for further diagnosis of unexplained ear pain. As a result of the delay, the plaintiff alleged that his diagnosis of tonsillar cancer was delayed resulting in multiple modality treatment that he would not have otherwise incurred had the physician provided him with an earlier referral to an appropriate specialist. Plaintiff sought in excess of $3,000,000 and the jury found in favor of the physician and health center on all counts.