A nurse practitioner is accused of misdiagnosing a patient with a “viral illness” the day before he died of a myocardial infraction.
Catherine Brentlinger, as special representative of Gregory Brentlinger, filed the lawsuit Jan. 31 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Jessica Freeman, APRN.
According to the complaint, the decedent visited Freeman, who is a nurse practitioner, as a patient on Jan. 30, 2018. The decedent was allegedly complaining of chest pain, a sore throat, nasal congestion, fever and a cough. He was allegedly informed that he likely had a “viral illness that would last seven to 10 days before symptoms would subside and to follow up with primary care physician if the fever lasted longer than five days.”
The decedent went home following the visit but died the next day by myocardial infraction, the suit states.
The plaintiff alleges Freeman “owed the decedent a standard of care to possess and apply the skill and care of a reasonably well qualified physician in the same or similar circumstances.”
The plaintiff claims the defendant breached her duty of care by failing to recommend appropriate treatment, failing to adequately assess and diagnose the patient, failing to identify an ongoing heart attack, and releasing the decedent in an untimely capacity leading to his death.
Catherine Brentlinger seeks a judgment in excess of $50,000, plus costs.
She is represented by Charles J. Baricevic of Chatham and Baricevic in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 20-L-107