In March of 2021, a Greene County jury awarded more than $34 million to the family of an infant born with severe medical problems at CoxHealth Hospital in Springfield, Missouri. This award has been named the largest medical malpractice verdict in the State of Missouri last year by Missouri Lawyers Weekly, a legal trade publication that follows the state’s legal industry.
JVM does not shy away from a tough fight.
In 2014, Katie Chittenden was in labor at CoxHealth Hospital in Springfield, Missouri. During labor, the staff at CoxHealth administered Katie increasing doses of the drug Pitocin, causing her contractions to become so frequent and severe that her baby, Brody Kendrick, was deprived of oxygen in the womb. His lack of oxygen led to brain damage, quadriplegia, and a diagnosis of cerebral palsy.
To hold CoxHeath accountable, Katie Chittenden and her family sought the help of Johnson, Vorhees & Martucci. They were seeking funds to cover Brody’s care and to make sure what happened to Brody, doesn’t happen to other babies.
Even with the cards stacked against them, Roger Johnson and Scott Vorhees took on the case. They showed it was malpractice and unsafe hospital policies that led to Brody’s irreversible injuries.
“We took on the case knowing that a victory for Brody would not only cover some of the costs associated with his elevated needs but could also ensure that CoxHealth and surrounding hospitals improve their standard of care, so that no other family will have to endure the same heartache that Brody’s family has lived through,” said Roger Johnson, attorney for the family and principal at Johnson, Vorhees & Martucci.
A powerful voice for the wrongfully injured.
This is a $34 million victory, not only for Brody’s family, but also for the residents of Springfield, MO as standards of care are improved. Cases like this make our team proud to be trial attorneys.
Johnson, Vorhees & Martucci has eight award-winning attorneys with proven trial advocacy and more than 140 years of combined experience. Justice and truth are the core principles of our firm. We are committed to following through for our clients.
If you need to talk to an attorney, please call us at (417) 206-0100 or submit a contact form. As one of the region’s leading personal injury law firms, Johnson, Vorhees & Martucci represents clients in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
