Medical Malpractice | Johnson Vorhees Martucci | Joplin & Springfield Missouri

Medical Malpractice

If Nobody is Held Accountable, How do Things Change?

Recent $3M+ Verdict Holds CoxHealth Accountable. When one-year-old Kyler George woke the morning of June 5, 2017, his mother, Kassie McAtee, thought he seemed unwell. He looked pale, felt cold and clammy, and seemed lethargic. Kassie brought Kyler to the Urgent Care at CoxHealth Branson Hospital, where he was seen by physician assistant Hollis Smith. Without undergoing a complete examination, Kyler was diagnosed with an ear infection and sent home.

Birth Injuries

Pitocin: The Synthetic Hormone Linked to Birth Injuries

Pitocin is a synthetic version of the natural occurring hormone, oxytocin. The female body naturally produces its own oxytocin in the pituitary gland, which causes uterine contractions. When labor starts, oxytocin continues to be released by the pituitary gland to drive the labor pattern. If the body makes its own oxytocin, why would synthetic Pitocin need to be administered? Synthetic Pitocin is administered for a couple of different

Birth Injuries

JUSTICE FOR BRODY KENDRICK AND THE PEOPLE OF SPRINGFIELD

Recent $34M Verdict Is One of the Largest Medical Malpractice Verdicts in Missouri In 2014, Katie Chittenden was in labor at CoxHealth Hospital in Springfield, Missouri, joyfully anticipating the birth of her child, Brody Kendrick. During labor, the staff at CoxHealth gave Katie increasing doses of the drug Pitocin, causing her contractions to become so frequent and severe that baby Brody was deprived of oxygen in the womb. Brody’s lack

Birth Injuries

My Grandchild Died During Delivery…

Hopefully, you’ll never face this nightmare. But what would you do if the unthinkable happens and you believe the hospital or physician is at fault? For the sake of illustration, let’s say that an infant died during childbirth. Perhaps it was a difficult delivery. Perhaps it was an error or oversight. What rights do the grandparents have? Can they sue for medical malpractice? Who Can Claim Damages? Unfortunately, in most

Medical Malpractice

Living With A Life Changing Spinal Injury: A Story of Medical Negligence

Spinal injuries can impact your life forever. Your spine gives you mobility and structure for everyday activities. Losing that mobility can take away your freedom and independence, making you completely reliant on other people. Mike lost his freedom when his back surgeons failed to provide him with quality care. We hope Mike’s experience will help you to ask the right questions and find trustworthy doctors to see to your medical

Behind the Scenes

Client Story: Brain Trauma & Medical Negligence

As injury lawyers, we see firsthand the serious and traumatic injuries that our clients have suffered. When people ask us why we became lawyers, most already assume it’s for our own financial benefit. While there are lawyers out there who view clients as paychecks, we see them as individuals going through the worst times of their lives. We became lawyers to make a difference in the lives of those who

Firm News

Johnson, Vorhees & Martucci Win $1M Verdict in Bonetti Case

Friday, October 11, 2019, was the third anniversary of Chef Marcel Bonetti’s death. It was also the day a jury in St. Charles County, Missouri found fault on the part of Dr. Peter McCarthy, M.D., an emergency department physician at Barnes Jewish St. Peters hospital, for his passing. Case Background Marcel Bonetti, a renowned Springfield chef, died five days after undergoing a straightforward umbilical hernia repair. He returned to the

Birth Injuries

Johnson, Vorhees & Martucci Wins $7.68 Million Verdict for Birth Injury Client

The Johnson, Vorhees & Martucci trial team of attorneys Roger Johnson, Scott Vorhees and Tati Scholfield-Johnson, along with paralegal Rusty Johnson, nurse consultant Pam Thurman and IT specialist Jeff Allender, had the great honor of speaking for a three year old – Warren H. – before a Jasper County, Missouri, jury from September 3-17. Shout out to a hard-working jury who cared about finding and speaking the truth – with

Medical Errors

Jury Verdict Awarded Over $1 Million to Victim of Esophageal Injury Caused by Negligent Doctor

On February 23, 2015, plaintiff James \”Gary\” Cooper underwent a laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication by defendant Dr. Jeffrey Kellar at North Hills Surgery Center. During the surgery, a dilator, called a bougie, was passed into Gary\’s esophagus. It was noted by Dr. Kellar that there was difficulty passing the bougie. During the surgery, a perforation of Gary\’s esophagus occurred and was unrecognized. Dr. Kellar did not perform any intraoperative testing to

Medical Malpractice

Who Can You File a Lawsuit Against for a Dangerous Drug?

The market for prescription medication has expanded dramatically over the past few decades. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half of all Americans use at least one prescription drug every month. The CDC study also reported this number increased nearly 11% from 1988 to 2012. As the use of medications continues to rise, the danger for hazardous drugs and harmful side effects may

News & Updates