Iowa family wins $1.6 million after doctor fails to treat infection

BETTENDORF, Iowa — A Tipton doctor sued by the daughter of a retired LeClaire welder has been found liable for the man’s death.

A Scott County jury returned a verdict Tuesday, finding that medical examiner Michelle M. Sprengelmeyer was responsible for the death of Steve Schwarz.

The two-week trial ended with the jury awarding Schwarz’s daughter, Heather Barrett, $1.645 million.

Jurors found that Dr. Sprengelmeyer failed to properly treat an infection.

Schwarz had surgery to have supportive hardware placed in his spine at the University of Iowa Hospitals in March 2020. He was eventually released to recuperate at Cedar Manor in Tipton, where Sprengelmeyer was his treating physician.

But the lawsuit alleges that Sprengelmeyer failed to comply with UI’s instructions to continue using antibiotics to treat the MRSA infection, causing the infection to grow. Because the infection went untreated, Schwarz was later sent to hospice care, where he died in July.

Barrett said justice was served, but she is still struggling with the sudden loss of her father.

“It’s hard to think that a common infection brought (my father) down. He rode ATVs, jumped in his car for road trips around the country (in California) to surprise us. “Barrett was a strong, active man who was just starting to enjoy his retirement,” he said. “We thought he was getting the care he needed after surgery. There was no point in him not getting better. By the time we realized that the infection was not treated with antibiotics, it was too late. “It was terrible, my father deserved better care.”

“We are pleased that the jury found Dr. Sprengelmeyer responsible,” said Barrett’s attorney, Anthony Bribriesco. “In preparing for this case, we learned that the overall success rate for treating hardware-involved spinal infection with suppressive antibiotics was almost 80%. A simple, well-established antibiotic treatment could have saved Steve’s life.”

According to the Bribriesco Law Firm, research shows that transitions of care between hospitals and nursing homes are a preventable source of medication errors.

Better communication and consistent, careful review of medical records for accuracy can save lives, Bribriesco said.

“These types of medication errors should not occur,” said co-counsel Bill Bribriesco. “It is a physician’s primary responsibility to review patient records carefully and remain vigilant while in patient care.”

Lawmakers passed a $1 million cap on damages in such cases, but because the law only goes into effect in 2023, damages in this case are still valid since Schwarz died in 2020.

Schwarz’s attorneys said they have seen an increase in health care negligence across the state in recent years and criticized the new law limiting damages, noting that it would not actually bring more doctors to the state. They said even if it was a law like that While some medical professionals are attracted to Iowa, doctors who are more concerned about their liability if they act negligently are not the type of doctors Iowa should be trying to attract.

Schwarz also clarified misconceptions about medical malpractice lawsuits, stating that such cases Negative They are responsible for increasing the cost of health care, but they are the only way Iowans can hold negligent doctors accountable for their actions.

“No one held Dr. Sprengelmeyer responsible until the jury delivered its verdict. This is the first example of someone saying, ‘Dr. Sprengelmeyer, you will be held responsible.’ And that means the world to Heather and her family,” Anthony Bribriesco said.