A St. Clair County physician denies liability in a suit alleging a patient died due to heart failure, arguing that the patient is contributorily at fault.
Glenda Brown, as administrator of the estate of Geraldine Richardson, deceased, filed the complaint Jan. 31 against Memorial Hospital and Dr. Muhammad Ansari.
According to the complaint, Richardson was admitted to Memorial Hospital on Jan. 25, 2017, with complaints of weakness and chest pain. The suit states that the defendants failed to adequately treat the decedent’s diabetic and heart failure conditions.
As a result, Richardson died Feb. 1, 2017, after the defendants failed to render necessary medical and hospital treatment, the suit states.
Brown alleges she has been deprived of Richardson’s love, affection, comfort and guidance. She seeks more than $50,000 in compensatory damages, plus court costs.
Ansari answered the complaint on May 16 through attorney Jason Winslow of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in Belleville, denying liability.
In his affirmative defenses, the defendant argues that the decedent’s injuries “are a direct and proximate result of superseding, independent, and intervening causes of which this defendant had no control.”
He also argues that any alleged damages are the result of the plaintiff’s own comparative or contributory fault and/or negligence as well as the result of conduct other than the defendant’s conduct.
St. Clair County Circuit Judge Heinz Rudolf scheduled a mandatory status conference of June 17 at 9 a.m. The parties are expected to present an agreed upon case management order.
Brown is represented by Bruce Cook of Cook, Bartholomew, Shevlin & Cook LLP in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 19-L-80