ST. LOUIS – An Illinois woman alleges her son never regained consciousness after a surgery and says negligence is a factor.
Angela Brown, as guardian of the estate of Joseph L. Brown Jr., a disabled adult filed a complaint on May 4 in the St. Louis Circuit Court against SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, SSM Health Care Corp. and Samer K. Elbabaa alleging negligence.
According to the complaint, Joseph L. Brown Jr., the plaintiff's son, had a known left dorsal midbrain cavernous malformation and had been receiving ongoing treatment from the defendants for several years. On April 8, 2016, Joseph L. Brown Jr. went to Cardinal Glennon with complaints of numbness and occasional double vision, and an MRI was done the following day that was interpreted by Elbabaa to show cavernoma enlargement. The suit states surgery was scheduled for May 6, 2016.
The plaintiff alleges after the surgery was performed, Joseph L. Brown Jr. failed to regain consciousness and reflexes as expected. She alleges he has no chance of medical improvement and will probably remain in this state for the rest of his life.
The plaintiff holds the defendants responsible because the defendants allegedly negligently and carelessly performed the surgery when it was not called for or recommended under the circumstance and failed to recognize intraoperative brain injuries caused during surgery.
The plaintiff seeks judgment against the defendants in an amount of more than $25,000, costs of court and all other relief that is just and proper. She is represented by Ryan J. Mahoney of Cates Mahoney LLC in Swansea, Illinois.
St. Louis Circuit Court case number 1822-CC00914