Man dies of cryptococcal meningitis, lawsuit results

Two local medical care facilities are facing suit over claims they provided inadequate medical care.

Stacey Williams, individually and as independent administrator of the Estate of Vontrell Williams, filed a lawsuit Nov. 6 in Cook County Circuit Court against Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation and University of Chicago Hospitals, citing the survival and wrongful death statutes and the Family Expense Act.

The plaintiff states on Oct. 27, 2011, Vontrell Williams arrived at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital's emergency room. The suit claims the defendants failed to order appropriate testing when Vontrell had signs of central nervous system infection and  complained of severe headaches.

The complaint states that on Nov. 01, 2011, Vontrell presented to the emergency room at the University of Chicago and was admitted. While Vontrell was at University of Chicago Hospitals, the suit alleges that appropriate tests were not ordered, the defendant failed to respond to elevated intracranial pressure and failed to timely request a neurological consultation.

The plaintiff contends that as a result of the defendants' acts, Vontrell was not timely diagnosed or treated for cryptococcal meningitis, causing him to lapse into a coma and ultimately die on Nov. 6, 2011.

The plaintiff is seeking more than $50,000 in damages. She is being represented in the case by Sal Indomenico of Sal Indomenico & Associates PC.

Cook County Circuit Court case No. 2013L012268.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in the Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.