A man's family is suing over the alleged deterioration of condition the man experienced before his death.
Nichole L. Rodriguez, as representative of the estate of George "Geo" Schneider, filed a lawsuit July 24 in Cook County Circuit Court against Dorchester Senior Center, doing business as the Dorchester Supportive Living Facility, also known as The Dorchester, and the village of Dolton, alleging negligence and wrongful death.
According to the complaint, on July 31, 2013, Schneider became a resident of the defendant's facility, at 1515 E. 154th St., Dolton. The suit says the defendants were aware of the importance of properly administering the drug Coumadin to Schneider, and monitoring its effects through blood screenings.
On Aug. 5, the lawsuit states, Dorchester Senior Center was told about the plaintiff's INR of 3.7, and two days later, it was told by a physician to hold off providing Schneider with Coumadin. The next day, the suit states, Schneider experienced shortness of breath from high Coumadin levels, causing a spinal epidural hematoma. He died Jan. 10, 2014.
The suit alleges Schneider sustained injuries, poor quality of life, deterioration of his condition, spinal epidural hematoma (requiring thoracic laminectomy surgery that decreased his mobility), disability and disfigurement, pain and suffering, and medical expenses.
Rodriguez seeks unspecified damages in excess of the court's jurisdictional limits, plus costs. She is represented by attorneys Jaime A. Koziol and Margaret Battersby Black of Levin and Perconti in Chicago.
Cook County Circuit Court case number 2015L007572.