John Stroger Hospital named in negligence lawsuit

Joaquin Cortez filed suit Nov. 4 in the Cook County Circuit Court against John Stroger Hospital over injuries allegedly sustained as a result of the hospital's negligence.

According to the complaint, Cortez was admitted to Stroger hospital on Nov. 1, 2012 for an appendectomy. He claims he developed post-procedure complications, including abdominal pain and formation of an abscess.

Following the draining of the abscess, Cortez allegedly showed symptoms of a perforated bowel and underwent a surgery to repair it. He claims he was discharged from the hospital while still experiencing various complications.

Cortez allegedly was admitted to Community Hospital in Muenster, Ind. on Nov. 20, when he was treated for pneumonia and an infection of the surgical incision sites.

The suit states Cortez had to undergo another surgery in order to alleviate the complications from his two prior surgeries at Stroger hospital.

Cortez is seeking more than $50,000 in damages and is being represented by Indiana attorney Ray Gupta.

Circuit Court of Cook County Case No. 2013L012182.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County. 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.