BELLEVILLE – St. Clair County Circuit Judge Christopher Kolker transferred a wrongful death complaint filed by Swansea attorney Tom Keefe to a new court.
Kolker transferred the lawsuit to Madison County Circuit Court on July 17.
Keefe represents Jon Sander of Bunker Hill as estate representative for spouse Shiela Sander, who died on March 4.
Sander alleges malpractice against Anderson Hospital, its medical group, Millenium Anesthesiologists, physicians Bryson Whalen and Stephen Luchtefeld, and nurse Sherri Blaha.
Keefe filed the complaint in St. Clair County Circuit Court in April.
He claimed defendants failed to recognize a high risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism due to obesity and use of oral contraception.
He also claimed they failed to apply prophylaxis for thrombosis in an operative procedure.
Keefe alleged the defendants administered tranhexamic acid immediately after the operation.
Shiela Sander later died on March 4.
Anderson’s medical group and Whalen moved to transfer in June.
Their counsel Diane Bodden of the Sandberg Phoenix firm in St. Louis wrote, “In order for venue to be proper in St. Clair County, one of the defendants must reside in St. Clair County.”
“None of the defendants in this matter are residents of St. Clair County,” she wrote.
“A defendant has an absolute right to insist on proper venue,” she added.
She claimed all defendants resided in Madison County except Whalen, a St. Louis resident.
She claimed the alleged negligence occurred at the medical group and the hospital.
She added that all relevant care and treatment occurred in Madison County.
Bodden claimed Sander’s complaint didn’t allege that St. Clair County venue was proper.
Keefe didn’t respond to the motion and Kolker granted it.