Husband, daughter say doctors misdiagnosed woman

The husband and daughter of a recently deceased woman blame her doctors for causing her death, saying they misdiagnosed the woman’s neurological condition.

Earl Clagg and Evelyn Simmons filed a lawsuit May 16 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Dr. Dominic Imburgia, Consolidated Community Medical Centers and St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis.

Clagg and Simmons claim their wife and mother, Cora Clagg, died Jan. 31, 2013, after doctors misdiagnosed her with Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease. The disease, which normally kills people within one year, may cause people to have failing memory, behavioral changes, a lack of coordination and visual disturbances.

Earl Clagg and Simmons do not say what disease Cora Clagg suffered from, but do say that following her death, they were deprived of her love, companionship, society and support.

Earl Clagg and Simmons say Imburgia failed to diagnose and treat her neurological condition, misdiagnosed her with Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease, failed to obtain a neurology consult, failed to order a second MRI to evaluate for internal change and failed to obtain an EEG.

Earl Clagg and Simmons are seeking a judgment of more than $450,000, plus costs.

They are being represented by Samantha S. Unsell of Keefe and Keefe in Belleville.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 14-L-335.