Wrongful Death Suit Blames Silver Cross Surgeon

NEW LENOX, IL - The family of a 70-year-old woman who had been under the care of the Silver Cross Hospital and Medical Centers has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital and Dr. Laura Ragauskaite. When Carol Stavola died on July 9, 2016, she left behind three daughters Diane Mason, Karen Faciana, Mary Lybarger and two sons, Joseph Stavola and Michael Stavola "who suffered pecuniary loses and damages ... and ... will in the future be deprived of, her affection, society and companionship," the lawsuit filed this week at the Will County Courthouse argues.

The Chicago personal injury law firm of Sukhman & Yagoda of Chicago filed the lawsuit on behalf of Stavola's estate. Here are the key events alleged in their wrongful death lawsuit against Silver Cross Hospital:

June 20, 2016 - Stavola came to Silver Cross and became a patient of the defendant, Dr. Laura Ragauskaite. The diagnosis was an incarcerated ventral hernia and the surgeon performed a repair of the hernia.

June 21, 2016 - Dr. Rashmi Bisla ordered that no nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or neprotoxic medications be given to the patient.

June 23, 2016 - Dr. Ragauskaite ordered the patient get Toradola, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to treat moderately severe pain and inflammation, usually after surgery.

June 26, 2016 - Stavola underwent an exploratory laparotomy "during which infected mesh was discovered and a resection of the small bowel was performed," the suit states.

July 9, 2016 - Stavola, age 70, according to her online obituary, was pronounced dead "as a result of multi-organ failure and sepsis," her family's lawsuit notes.

According to the plaintiff's lawyers, Silver Cross and Dr. Ragauskaite were careless and negligent in four key areas including having "failed to diagnose sepsis following the June 20, 2016 surgery" and having "improperly prescribed Toradol on June 23, 2016."

The lawsuit states that because of the "forgoing careless and negligent acts or omissions on the part of the defendant, Silver Cross ... and or employees including but not limited to Dr. Laura Ragauskaite, the plaintiff's decedent, Carol Stavola, sustained injuries which caused her death on July 9, 2016."

The lawsuit, brought by Karen Faciana, administrator of her mother's estate, seeks a judgment against Silver Cross that "will fairly and adequately compensate for the losses alleged herein."

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