Romanucci & Blandin secures $24 million settlement for mother paralyzed, impaired by surgical mistakes

CHICAGO (March 11, 2026) – Romanucci & Blandin, LLC announces a $24 million settlement in their representation of a now-disabled mother in a surgical and medical malpractice case.

The Plaintiff was a 39-year-old woman, and mother of three, who suffered a devastating ischemic stroke of her middle carotid artery, which is a major artery in the neck providing blood supply to the brain and eyes. The stroke was caused by intraoperative bleeding due to a surgical injury to her internal carotid artery during a surgical resection of a tuberculum sella meningioma, which is typically a benign tumor in the skull. The surgery took place at a Chicago-area hospital. In the lawsuit, the Plaintiff alleged that the defendants failed to perform adequate imaging of the brain to properly identify the anatomy, used an inappropriate approach for the surgery and attempted to drill through an unexpected bony growth encountered during the surgery.

As a result of the stroke, the Plaintiff is hemiparetic with no functional use of her left arm and left leg and sustained a substantial brain injury.

The Plaintiff was represented by Romanucci & Blandin Founding Partner Stephan D. Blandin and Senior Partner Michael E. Holden, with support from Litigation & Operations Manager Matthew Dominguez.

“Our client went in for surgery, prepared to have her doctor and medical professionals remove benign tumors around her brain. Instead, those same doctors and medical professionals failed to follow standard-of-care protocols that would have prevented this tragic and life-altering situation. While the case was settled for $24 million, this mother and her family will continue to require assistance with basic tasks for the remainder of her life,” said Senior Partner Michael E. Holden, Romanucci & Blandin.

About Romanucci & Blandin, LLC

Romanucci & Blandin is a Chicago-based national trial practice committed to fighting for victims of negligence, abuse and wrongful death through impact litigation. For more than 25 years, we have secured more than $1 billion in verdicts and settlements for our clients - many for millions of dollars or record-setting awards. Our experience ranges from mass shootings, civil rights and police misconduct to medical malpractice, sexual abuse, motor vehicle accidents or workplace injury cases involving individual or institutional negligence. Romanucci & Blandin is a valuable legal resource to individuals and groups of people who have been injured by others’ wrongdoing. Referring attorneys and clients say several factors distinguish our firm: Our record of success, depth of experience, talented and dedicated legal team, tireless preparation, and strategic use of communications to fight for the rights of those whose lives have been changed forever. We differ from other personal injury firms in that our work does not stop when a verdict or settlement is secured. Our clients’ experiences often inspire us to commit resources to transforming lives and communities. For more information about Romanucci & Blandin, please visit: www.rblaw.net or call (312) 458-1000.