A woman is suing Wexford Health Services and several physicians for allegedly refusing to approve an inmate’s liver transplant in a timely manner, which she claims resulted in his death at 30 years old.
Victoria Green, as administrator of the estate of Craigory Green, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against Steve Meeks, Kim Hugo-Mohammed Siddiqui, Gail Wallis, John Shepherd, Michael Moldenhauer, Vipin Shah, Erin Mears-Attig, Rashida Pollion, Mary Zimmer, B. White, Wexford Health Sources Inc., and an unknown Wexford Doctor.
The plaintiff is represented by Sarah Grady of Loevy & Loevy in Chicago.
According to the complaint, Craigory Green was diagnosed with possible primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) while he was an inmate in Cook County Jail in January 2011. PSC is described in the suit as a “rare disease that causes inflammation and scarring in the bile ducts within the liver.” The disease allegedly causes vessels to become inflamed, causing scar tissue to restrict the ability of those vessels to carry digestive liquid to the intestine for elimination.
The suit states that Craigory Green was diagnosed after he was admitted to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital in 2010 with complaints of sharp abdominal pains, yellowed eyes and skin, nausea and vomiting, and unintended weight loss. After his gallbladder was removed, a biopsy of his liver showed that he likely had PSC.
Craigory Green’s medical records indicating the possible diagnosis traveled with him to the Illinois Department of Corrections when he was transferred to Stateville Northern Reception Center and then Menard Correctional center. Victoria Green claims the defendants disregarded the diagnosis and other signs of the decedent’s liver problems for several years.
“Between September 14, 2012, and May 22, 2018, Craigory repeatedly and consistently reported the fact that he had primary sclerosing cholangitis to medical staff at Menard,” the suit states. Despite that report, defendants repeatedly and consistently failed to respond to Craigory’s reports, either through evaluation and treatment, or by obtaining the medical records from Stroger, which would have confirmed his reports.”
Victoria Green claims that by April 2018, the defendants allegedly knew that a liver transplant was the only treatment that would save Craigory Green’s life.
“Despite that knowledge, defendants refused to provide him timely treatment, authorizing a liver transplant only when it was far too late,” the suit states.
The suit states that only the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) could do a liver transplant evaluation. UIC allegedly determined that Craigory Green was not a candidate for a liver transplant because the prison would not pay for the procedure.
By September 2018, Craigory Green was at Southern Illinois Memorial Hospital when it was determined that he was a candidate for a liver transplant and should be transferred to a tertiary care level facility immediately.
On Oct. 3, 2018, the defendants “finally” approved the decedent for a liver transplant and Loyola University Medical Center agreed to accept him pending information from the defendants regarding payment and approval.
“Because of the advanced state of Craigory’s PSC, he was unable to survive until a liver became available at Loyola,” the suit states.
Craigory Green died on Oct. 28, 2018 at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., from complications of hepatic cirrhosis, which was caused by his PSC. He was 30 years old.
“Thanks to defendants’ abhorrent conduct, Craigory was left to suffer a slow and painful death, as his body filled with the toxins that his liver was unable to process for elimination. Craigory repeatedly told medical staff that he wanted to fight his disease, but thanks to defendants’ conscious disregard of his deadly disease, he lost that fight.
The plaintiff seeks a judgment in her favor of unspecified compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, and all other relief the court deems just.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois case number 3:20-cv-463