Vermilion County Family Receives $3.3 Million Medical Malpractice Settlement

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1 Spring 2010 Levin & Perconti: Attorneys seeking justice for victims of injury and wrongful death since 1992 PARTNERS Steven Levin Co-founder in 1992, lawyer since 1976 John Perconti Co-founder in 1992, lawyer since 1982 Susan Novosad Lawyer since 1986 Jeffrey Martin Lawyer since 1982 ASSOCIATES Michael Bonamarte IV Patricia Gifford Jordan Powell Margaret Battersby Lindsay Mack EDITOR Jenna Bosco PHOTOGRAPHER Jill Carlson Representing clients who have suffered serious or catastrophic injuries Vermilion County Family Receives $3.3 Million Medical Malpractice Settlement Steven Levin and Margaret Battersby of Levin & Perconti, and James Spiros of Spiros & Wall, reached a $3.3 million settlement in a medical malpractice case against Provena Covenant Medical Center (PCMC) in Urbana, IL. In September 2005, 52- year-old Betty Smith* of Danville, IL, was admitted to a Peoria hospital for surgery Steven Levin after suffering a ruptured aneurysm that caused a subarachnoid hemorrhage, or bleeding in the brain. She remained in the hospital for two months, regaining almost all of her cognitive and physical functions. On November 16, she was discharged to PCMC for rehabilitation. At PCMC, her doctors noted her progress and saw upward trends in her physical and cognitive capabilities. On Thanksgiving Day, Betty s family visited her, anticipating her return home several days later. Betty s husband, John, built incremental steps at their front door to make it easy for her to enter the house. Her daughter Jennifer stocked their house with groceries and created meal plans according to Betty s doctor s recommendations. After an exhausting three months, the entire family was relieved that Betty would finally be returning home. Betty was scheduled to be discharged on November 28, In spite of her doctor s growing confidence in her abilities, she remained at risk for falls. Hospital staff was ordered to provide contact guard assist, an intervention that required the staff to maintain constant tactile contact with Betty to provide balance and support anytime she got up from her bed. 325 North LaSalle Street, Suite 450 Chicago, Illinois (312) FAX (312) Toll free (877) On the 28th, as a nurse assisted Betty to the restroom, the nurse admittedly let go of Betty to open a door. When the nurse let go, Betty fell backwards and struck her head on the metal frame of her hospital bed, causing severe head trauma and a subdural hematoma, or a collection of blood on the surface of the brain. Betty lost consciousness and was transferred to another hospital for treatment. She remained in a coma for 10 days and showed no signs of improvement. John and his children realized that Betty s doctors could do nothing else to save her life and, on December 7, her family took her off life support. Before her aneurysm surgery, Betty was a hardworking, caring wife and mother of three grown children: Carl, Jennifer and Amy. Betty worked full-time as a regional salesperson for a manufacturing company, but still found time for her family and her community. My mom was an amazing woman. She was a rock, and the hub that kept all of us together, remembered Jennifer. Betty s death was difficult for her children, who relied on their mother for her sound advice and guidance as they grew into adulthood. Now that she is gone, I often reflect on how she lived her life and everything she taught us, said Carl. When I am faced with tough decisions, I try to think about what she would do and how she would act in similar situations. Along with sharing her wisdom with Carl and Jennifer, Betty was also a committed and supportive wife to John for over 33 years. In spring 2005, John was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer s disease. After his diagnosis, Betty vowed to slow the development of his condition by researching new treatments for the disease. However, Margaret Battersby when she went into the hospital following her aneurysm, John s treatments were put on hold so he could be by Betty s side every day at the hospital. Continued on Page 2 1

2 After Betty died, John s Alzheimer s progressed quickly because she was no longer there to advocate for him and help him battle his disease. The constant support that our mom provided throughout their marriage was gone when our dad needed her most, said Carl. Carl and Jennifer recognized that their father could no longer live on his own, and moved him into a nursing home. Carl added, With Mom s care, I believe we could have prevented our dad s Alzheimer s from advancing so quickly. Unfortunately, the disease has taken a toll on him. He lives in a nursing home and hardly talks anymore, but it is obvious that he is still grieving the death of our mom. Additionally, Betty s youngest child, Amy, suffers from autism and relied on her mother as her primary caretaker. It was very hard for Amy s siblings to comfort her because she could not comprehend what had happened to their mother. Amy knew our mom was gone, but she did not know where. She could not be consoled, Jennifer recalled. Carl added, Amy still bursts into tears we all know she still misses our mom but she can t communicate her feelings. Once, Amy s teacher found her crying and holding a piece of paper with the word Mom written on it. Amy had never spoken a word, let alone written anything in her entire life, but by writing Mom we all believe that she was trying to express her grief, said Carl. Betty s death was also a hard loss for her church and community. She was a founding member and the pianist at her church, and volunteered with a number of community groups in Danville. My mom s involvement taught us the value of community service and the importance of looking beyond yourself to help others in need. She was a great role model, said Carl. The family s case was filed on November 3, 2006 and settled less than a week before the trial was to begin in Vermilion County. Provena Medical Center failed to take proper precautions to prevent Betty from falling, noted Steve. Shortly before the trial, the hospital admitted that its negligence caused Betty s injuries and death. The case then became focused on the issue of what amount of money would fairly and reasonably compensate Betty s family for her injuries and their terrible loss. When Betty went to Provena for rehabilitation, she was showing daily progress, Margaret noted. The hospital staff had a responsibility to provide the proper care to aid in her recovery and they failed to fulfill this duty by allowing her to fall. The Smiths experienced a tragic loss, made worse by the fact that John and Amy depended on Betty for everything. I am pleased that we reached a settlement with Provena so Betty s family will be compensated for their heartbreaking loss, said Steve. Though the settlement will never replace Betty, I hope the Smiths find relief knowing that they will have the resources to ensure that John and Amy receive the best care possible. The entire Smith family conveyed their appreciation for Steve and Margaret s guidance and support during the litigation process. We are thankful for everything Steve and Margaret did to hold the hospital accountable for the loss of our mother, said Jennifer. Throughout the course of our case, they were always accessible and constantly kept us updated. I felt comfortable calling them anytime with questions about our case. James Spiros, an attorney from Danville, acted as co-counsel on the Smith s case. I knew this was a complex case when I involved Levin & Perconti, James recalled. I was aware of the firm s reputation and experience with medical malpractice cases, and was confident that they could take it to the next level to see that the Smiths received fair compensation for Betty s death. James also added, It was a pleasure working with Steve and Margaret. They allowed me to dictate my level of participation and always kept me abreast of how the case was proceeding. I am grateful for their involvement on this case. *All names have been changed at the family s request to protect their privacy. Med Mal Caps Ruled Unconstitutional Dear Friends, On February 4, 2010, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that caps on medical malpractice damages are unconstitutional, striking down a 2005 law placing caps on noneconomic damages at $500,000 against doctors and $1 million against hospitals. This was a great victory for the citizens of Illinois and we hope other states follow suit. Proponents of damage caps argue that increases in the number of medical malpractice lawsuits and payouts caused physicians insurance premiums to rise. They allege that these increases drove doctors out of Illinois and caused healthcare costs to skyrocket. However, insurance company data show that since 2000, the number of lawsuits and payouts have been stable or declining. Even though claims and payments did not increase, insurance premiums for physicians rose, revealing that rates are not influenced by the frequency of lawsuits, but rather economic conditions and insurance company greed. Additionally, data from the American Medical Association show that the number of practicing physicians in Illinois has increased every year since 1963, even before caps were put in place. These findings prove that claims of physician exodus are unfounded. Instead of tort reform, lawmakers must focus on insurance reform. As healthcare costs increase, so do the profits of our nation s insurers. States have little control over insurance rates, and the insurance industry remains protected from federal anti-trust laws. Rather than taking rights away from victims of medical error, we must find ways to regulate insurance companies to prevent drastic rate increases. Only then will we see any real savings in healthcare costs. Partners John Perconti and Steve Levin Our firm was founded on the belief that all victims of medical negligence have the right to seek fair and adequate compensation for their injuries, suffering and loss, and we applaud the Illinois Supreme Court s decision. We cannot blame victims for the negligence of others, nor should we limit their right to compensation for their injuries. Medical malpractice lawsuits give patients the power to hold doctors, hospitals and insurance companies responsible. By holding wrongdoers accountable, we bring problems of poor care to light with the hope of preventing malpractice from happening in the first place. Very truly yours, 2

3 Nursing Home Pressure-Sore Case Settled for $650,000 On April 16, 2007, Barbara Clapman was admitted to ManorCare Health Services in Libertyville, IL for sub-acute rehabilitation after undergoing spine surgery four months earlier. Although the surgery was complex, doctors assured her family that she would be able to return home with rehabilitation. Based on the nursing home staff s evaluation, Barbara s husband and daughter were hopeful that she would be home by early summer. When Barbara arrived at ManorCare, she was immobile and, as a result, at high risk for the development of pressure-related wounds. The facility staff was to turn and reposition Barbara every two hours. However, throughout her stay, Barbara s family never observed staff following these orders. My father and I were at the nursing home every single day, and never saw them rotate or reposition my mom, recalled Stacey Wolfe, Barbara s daughter. One evening, a nurse helping Barbara to bed noticed that she felt feverish. When she took Barbara s temperature, it was 103. The nurse alerted Barbara s doctor, who ordered that she be transferred to a hospital. When the doctor spoke with Barbara s husband, Sherman, and daughter, he revealed that earlier that day he discovered a pressure sore on Barbara s sacrum that was so severe she would require surgery. Later that night, she was taken to Condell Hospital for treatment. At the hospital, Stacey and Sherman learned that the infected pressure sore had caused Barbara s high fever. They also learned it was much more serious than they first realized. Hospital staff determined the pressure sore was so bad that bone was exposed. In addition to its size, the pressure sore was also infected with Methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of staph infection that is very resistant to antibiotics and difficult to treat. Hospital staff began aggressively treating the infection with strong antibiotics. For eight weeks Barbara received intravenous antibiotics. In June 2007, Barbara was admitted to a different nursing home to treat her pressure sore, where she remained for nine months at which point her pressure sore had healed. Barbara eventually began rehabilitation for her spine surgery; however, the pressure sore she developed at ManorCare significantly slowed down her rehabilitation. that seriously delayed her ability to rehabilitate and ultimately affected the outcome of her rehabilitation. In June 2007, the Illinois Department of Health cited ManorCare for neglect and improper nursing care for failing to prevent Barbara s pressure sore from developing and worsening. A month later, Levin & Perconti filed a lawsuit against ManorCare at Libertyville in the Circuit Court of Lake County. After mediation with the nursing home s attorneys, Susan Novosad reached a settlement of $650,000 on behalf of the Clapman family. ManorCare at Libertyville provided insufficient and improper care to Barbara, resulting in a devastating wound that caused her health to deteriorate, said Susan. Pressure sores are avoidable if direct-care workers take the time to rotate and reposition residents. Not only did the ManorCare staff fail to turn and reposition Barbara, but they also failed to timely discover or treat her pressure sore. Barbara s suffering could have been prevented, and she could have had a routine rehabilitation, if the nursing home had not failed to do what they promised. I thank Susan for empowering our family and helping to bring the nursing home s misconduct to light, said Stacey. Throughout the process, she was sensitive to our family s needs, yet constantly fighting to bring us justice. Every day, Stacey passes the ManorCare at Libertyville as she commutes to work and is reminded of what her mother has been through. Our case is settled, but we will never forgive ManorCare for the pain and anguish that my mother and our family have suffered as a result of their negligence. The MRSA infection weakened her so much that her rehabilitation was very difficult, he said. Before she went to ManorCare, her doctors were confident she would regain mobility. Now she can barely walk, and when she does she must use a walker. Along with affecting her health, the pressure sore and subsequent infection took a toll on Barbara s quality of life. It angers me to know that our lives have changed so drastically because of someone else s negligence, Sherman said. We entrusted my wife to ManorCare and expected them to help rehabilitate her. Instead, they ignored their duties and allowed her to develop a horrible injury Barbara with her grandson Scott L.M. for A.J. vs. Mercy Health Care Rehabilitation Center ($690,000 nursing home settlement) Staff members at the Homewood, IL nursing home were aware of our 87-year-old client s risk for falls, but failed to take the proper precautions to prevent her from falling and suffering a fractured foot and femur. As a result, she developed pressure sores, which caused her condition to deteriorate, and she died from her injuries six months after her fall. C.K. for M.K. vs. Schwab Center ($400,000 medical malpractice settlement) Our 67-year-old client fractured his hip and femur in a fall during an improper transfer by rehabilitation staff at this Cook County hospital. His injuries required surgery and multiple hospitalizations. Further, after fracturing his hip, our client developed pressure ulcers, sepsis, pneumonia and respiratory failure. Recent Settlements H.D. for R.S. vs. Lincolnwood Place ($500,000 nursing home settlement) The Cook County nursing home failed to prevent our client, an 89-year-old resident, from falling. As a result, she suffered two hip fractures, which required two surgeries to repair. M.E. vs. United Airlines ($350,000 premises liability settlement) Our client fell inside a jet bridge as he walked from the gate to the airplane he was boarding at O Hare Airport in Cook County. Water leaked inside through the cracks in this older jet bridge, which then formed black ice on the carpet inside the jet bridge. Our client sustained ankle fractures in the fall. The airline had knowledge of the unsafe condition inside the jet bridge, but failed to warn our client of its danger. 3

4 $750,000 Settlement in Hospital Pressure-Sore Case Steven Levin and Michael Bonamarte recently settled a hospital-acquired pressure sore (bedsore) lawsuit for $750,000 with Advocate Trinity Hospital and Dr. Latifah Sabree on behalf of the family of Claude Newman. Claude, 70, was admitted to Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago on September 18, 2005, for an above-the-knee amputation of his right leg. When he was admitted, he had no skin breakdown, but was assessed to be at high risk for pressure ulcers due to his immobility and poor circulation. Despite this assessment, neither the hospital staff nor Claude s physician, Dr. Sabree, created a care plan to address his risk. As a result, the appropriate interventions were not implemented. They also failed to frequently assess his skin condition, and as a result, Claude developed a massive bedsore on his sacrum. Claude s injury was not discovered until he was discharged to a Chicago nursing home. When it was found, nursing home staff tried to treat the sacral wound, but it did not heal. Claude endured several hospitalizations for treatment for his worsening wound. Tragically, the infection from the wound claimed his life on December 5, positions to relieve pressure. If a patient is at risk for pressure sores, caregivers are obligated to implement measures to try to maintain skin integrity, such as performing daily skin inspections, providing pressure-relieving mattresses and repositioning patients on a regular schedule. Properly trained healthcare providers are required to do everything they can to prevent these horrible wounds. As attorneys who file lawsuits on behalf of victims of medical malpractice and nursing home neglect, we have handled hundreds of cases involving pressure sores. We file lawsuits against hospitals, nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and home healthcare providers when they fail to assess patients risks or take the proper steps to prevent patients from developing serious pressure sores. Dr. Sabree and the hospital staff deviated from hospital procedure when they neglected to develop and implement a plan of care to prevent Claude from forming pressure ulcers, said Michael. Their failure to perform their duties caused both Claude and his entire family to suffer needlessly. Prior to being admitted to Advocate Trinity in 2005, Claude lived at his home on Chicago s South Side. His wife had passed away earlier that year, but his five children frequently visited him. Claude served as a deputy for the Cook County Sheriff s office for over 30 years and retired in He remained active in his retirement years and before he went into the hospital, he suffered no significant medical problems. Pressure sores are preventable medical errors, added Steven. The standard of care requires providers to assess a patient s condition, create a plan to address how to care for the condition, implement the plan and then evaluate how it is working. Claude was assessed; however, the hospital failed to carry out the other steps to address this risk, and this caused him significant pain, suffering and his untimely death at the age of 70. Claude s death was a heartbreaking loss for each of his children, including his oldest son, Ron, who lived nearby and saw his father several times a week. My father was my best friend, said Ron. We shared everything with each other and loved spending time together. Every Monday night, we played cards with a group of friends. It was something I always looked forward to and still miss. Claude was also Ron s role model. Ron admired his father and chose to become a Chicago police officer to follow in his father s footsteps of law enforcement. Four years after his death, Ron and his siblings still struggle to cope with their father s passing, especially since it could have been avoided. It was hard enough losing my father, but knowing that it could have been prevented made it especially difficult on all of us, added Ron. Hospital patients and nursing home residents are susceptible to pressure sores because individuals with limited mobility have difficulty changing body S.K. for E.K. vs. V.N., M.D., Ingalls Memorial Hospital et al. (medical malpractice) This Chicago-area physician and hospital misdiagnosed our 73-year-old client with an autoimmune disease. The diagnosis required that our client undergo months of unnecessary medication and treatment, making him susceptible to infection. As a result, our client suffered an infection that caused his death. A.C. for A.C. vs. Centex Homes and Centex Real Estate Corporation (workplace injury) Our 55-year-old client was hired to work at a residential construction project in Yorkville, IL. In February 2008, our client fell on ice at the construction site and suffered a traumatic brain injury that caused his death 11 months later. The construction company was negligent for failing to maintain a safe work area, failing to keep the area free of ice and failing to warn our client about the dangerous conditions. L.C. vs. S.L., MD, and Riverside Medical Center (medical malpractice) Our 48-year-old client sustained a brachial plexus nerve injury during surgery at this Kankakee Hospital. As a result, she now suffers severe pain and permanent disability in her lower arm and hand. Recently Filed Cases J.T. vs. M.C. (motor vehicle accident) Our client suffered a torn rotator cuff, and other injuries that required surgical repair, in a car accident on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. The accident occurred when the defendant driver failed to come to a stop at a red light, and rear-ended the vehicle in which our client occupied. K.R. vs. City of Chicago (premises liability) In April 2009, our client fell in downtown Chicago on a metal grate in the sidewalk that was intended to hold and contain a tree. City crews had previously removed the tree, but a hole remained in the grate. The City failed to cover this hole or warn pedestrians of this hazardous condition. As a result of her fall, our client suffered a broken fibula and sprained ankle. P.O. vs. Maplehurst Farms and S.W. (workplace injury) An employee of the Cherry Valley, IL farm failed to exercise reasonable care while operating an auger to unload grain, causing severe injuries to our client s right hand that required multiple surgeries and ongoing therapy. 4

5 Jury Returns Verdict in Favor of Plaintiff in Nursing Home Neglect Trial In October, a Cook County jury returned a $1 million verdict in favor of the plaintiff in a nursing home neglect and wrongful death lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the family of a nursing home resident who died in April 2004 when he exited the fifth-floor window of his room at Lee Manor Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Des Plaines, IL. Levin & Perconti represented the victim s family in the case. In his 30 s, our client was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. His condition caused him to suffer mood swings and volatile behavior. To treat his condition, our client s physicians prescribed numerous medications. Although the medications stabilized his schizophrenia, they caused him to suffer from dystonia, a neurological movement disorder. Additionally, he was legally blind. Our client s wife and son cared for him in this condition for many years in their home. Our client needed assistance with everyday tasks such as eating, bathing, going to the bathroom and moving around their home. As he got older, it became harder for our client s wife to meet the physical demands of caring for her husband. Our client s doctor recognized this and recommended that his family move him to a nursing home where staff could closely supervise and care for him. My mother and I wanted to do what was best for my dad, said our client s son. We believed he would be safer in a nursing home where he would receive full-time care. In early 2003, our client was admitted to a Chicago-area nursing home. Several months later, his family decided to move him to Lee Manor because it was close to their home. His wife could not drive, so the move made it easier for her to visit him. He was originally placed on the third floor, but shortly into his stay, he was moved to the facility s secure unit on the fifth floor. When our client moved into Lee Manor, his wife and son were happy with their decision. Although our client s son questioned his father s hygiene on occasion, he was patient with the nursing home staff. I knew they were taking care of a lot of other residents, so I tried to be understanding, said his son. I thought they were doing their best to care for my father. I did not find out about many of the issues, and the lack of care my father received, until everything was revealed at the trial. During the trial, the jury and our client s family learned that our client had verbally and physically communicated his intentions to leave the facility on numerous occasions. Nursing home staff documented him saying that he wanted to get out of the nursing home. They found him wearing his jacket, trying to get onto the elevator to exit the facility. Despite his actions, nursing home staff never created a care plan to address our client s risk for elopement. Instead, the staff relied on door alarms and locks on the elevators to stop residents from leaving. In addition to attempting to walk out of the facility, nursing home staff notes revealed that two staff members witnessed our client trying to climb the windows. Each room in the nursing home has a large window that opens from left to right like a sliding glass door, and the nursing home has stops on the windows to prevent residents from opening them more than 8 inches. The nursing home was obviously worried about residents getting out, said attorney Patricia Gifford, one of the attorneys who tried the case. They took many precautions to prevent residents from leaving. However, residents could still open their windows. One evening, in April 2004, nursing home staff discovered that our client was missing. They searched the fifth floor but could not locate him until a nurse discovered his room window open with the screen pushed out. The nurse climbed the dresser to look out the window and saw our client lying five stories below. Staff called for an ambulance and emergency workers transported our client to the hospital. However, our client died from his injuries shortly before arriving at the hospital. Upon learning of our client s death, his family was in shock. The nursing home never told them about our client s previous attempts to exit the facility, giving them no reason to suspect or worry about him exiting the window in his room. It surprised me to find out that he could even open the window, said our client s son. I never imagined the windows would open on a secure floor that housed residents with mental illnesses. Attorney Patricia Gifford Levin & Perconti filed the lawsuit against Lee Manor on behalf of our client s family in In late September 2009, the trial was held in the Circuit Court of Cook County. During the eight-day trial, the jury heard testimony from various nursing home employees, our client s family, psychiatric experts and nursing experts. The nursing home s attorneys argued that the nursing home acted reasonably and that it was not foreseeable that a grown man with significant physical disabilities would be able to climb up to, and squeeze through, an 8-inch opening. Our attorneys used a life-size model of the nursing home window to recreate the unsafe condition of the window for the jury, one of many exhibits employed to demonstrate how Lee Manor failed in their duty to supervise and protect our client from harm. After deliberating for over six hours, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff. In spite of the jury s verdict, the nursing home continues to deny responsibility for this tragic incident and is still arguing in court that it is not responsible. The case is currently in a stage of litigation called post-trial motions. In this proceeding, the nursing home is arguing that the judge should reverse the jury s verdict and find that it was not liable for our client s death. Patricia and partners Steve Levin and John Perconti continue to work diligently in post-trial proceedings to make certain that justice, as decided by the jury, is carried out. The nursing home was negligent when staff failed to assess our client as an elopement risk and failed to create a care plan to address his window-climbing behavior, said Steve. If the nursing home had taken proper precautions, such as placing locks or alarms on the windows, our client s death could have been prevented. The jury recognized the nursing home s negligence when they returned a verdict in his family s favor, added John. It is disappointing that the nursing home still will not accept responsibility for this incident. This is a wonderful family who suffered a tremendous and unanticipated loss. We are now working with appellate counsel to ensure that his family receives fair compensation for their devastating loss. We have launched our new Web site! Visit to view updated practice area information and expanded resources, including the new Nursing Home Attorney Information Center and our Illinois community pages. Check back often, as we will be continually adding new pages filled with valuable news and information relevant to our practice. 5

6 325 North LaSalle Street, Suite 450 Chicago, Illinois Phone: (312) Seeking justice for victims of injury and wrongful death since 1992 In October, Levin & Perconti hosted a reception for members of the American Association for Justice s Nursing Home Litigation Group at Steven Levin s home in Chicago. Steven Levin presented Nursing Home Litigation: Doing Well by Doing Good to members of the Chicago Bar Association s Young Lawyers Section Criminal Law/Tort Committee on November 20, Steven Levin spoke to the Vernon Park Church of God s Senior Council on January 16, 2010 on Advocating on Behalf of Loved Ones. On January 30, Jeffrey Martin participated in the DuPage County Civil Practice Seminar on Jury Selection in the Current Climate. DuPage County Chief Judge Hollis Webster and Judge Dorothy French were also in attendance and provided judicial perspective. Susan Novosad spoke to the men s club at the Chicago OASIS Senior Center on February 18 on Protecting Loved Ones in Long-Term Care Facilities. Jordan Powell served as a guest judge for the American Association for Justice s Student Mock Trial Advocacy Competition on February 26 and the John Marshall Law School 1L Mock Trial Competition on March 26. On March 4, Michael Bonamarte presented Complex Issues and Pitfalls in Discovery for the Tort Trial Lawyer to members of the Chicago Bar Association s Tort Litigation Committee. Levin & Perconti Attorney News Also on March 4, Steven Levin presented Understanding Nursing Home Laws: The Law s Role in Protecting and Compensating Victims of Abuse and Neglect to an audience of long-term care ombudsmen, senior advocates, nursing home administrators and direct-care staff at Illinois Central College. The talk was sponsored by the Culture Change Coalition of Peoria (www. cccofpeoria.com). Levin & Perconti sponsored the Community Renewal Society s 2010 Annual Gala honoring Catalyst Chicago s 20th Anniversary on March 25. Michael Bonamarte spoke to members of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association on Nursing Home Litigation on April 10 in Oak Brook, IL. ADVERTISING MATERIAL DISCLAIMER: This newsletter and any information contained herein are intended for advertising and informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Michael Bonamarte, Margaret Battersby and Steve Levin at the CRS Gala (Photo courtesy of Uncaged Photography) 6