Record $2.1 Million Verdict for Pulmonary Embolism Case

Record $2.1 Million Verdict for Pulmonary Embolism Case

A Grundy County jury awarded more than $2.1 million in its first known medical malpractice verdict for a plaintiff.

This is the only recorded plaintiff medical malpractice verdict, compared to 11 defense verdicts reported in Grundy County, according to John L. Kirkton, editor of Jury Verdict Reporter, a product of Law Bulletin Media.

Plaintiff Paul Passafiume was the husband of 34-year-old Lois Passafiume, who died of a massive pulmonary embolism 34 days after being diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in 2014 at Morris Hospital.

Lois Passafiume was diagnosed with the blood clot on Aug. 11, 2014, which is when the defendant, Dr. Daniel Jurak, assumed responsibility of properly managing the blood clot. She died on Sept. 14, 2014.

The jury found Lois Passafiume was 20% negligent, which lowered the verdict award to just less than $1.7 million.

The case was brought before Grundy County Circuit Court Judge Lance R. Peterson and lasted eight days.

Paul Passafiume was represented by Robert J. Napleton and David J. Gallagher , LLP.

Napleton felt getting this verdict will definitely lead to a better quality of health care in this approximately 50,000 person county.

The case is Paul Passafiume, Independent Administrator of the Estate of Lois Passafiume, deceased v. Daniel Jurak, D.O., and Daniel Jurak, D.O., S.C., 17 L 7.