Cook County jury awards family of girl who died of toxic levels of morphine $20.5M
CHICAGO - The family of an 11-year-old girl who died from morphine toxicity after being treated at a suburban cancer center in 2020 was awarded $20.5 million by a jury on Tuesday.
Ava Wilson, who was in remission from a form of leukemia, went to an appointment at the Cancer Center at Advocate Children’s Hospital in October of 2020.
The family of 11-year-old Ava Wilson, who died from morphine toxicity after being treated at a suburban cancer center in 2020, was awarded $20.5 million by a jury on Tuesday. (Provided by family lawyers)
The backstory:
During the appointment, a nurse practitioner examined Ava and noted she was in pain and had difficulty walking.
The girl had "persistently" low blood pressure during her stay at the clinic.
Despite these and other "concerning clinical signs," the nurse practitioner prescribed 15mg of morphine for Ava to take every four hours as needed for the pain. All of her prior morphine prescriptions were for just 5 mg, according to a news release from the family’s attorneys.
On Oct. 31, 2020, about 36 hours after leaving the clinic, Ava died in her sleep because she had toxic levels of morphine, hydroxyzine, and gabapentin. She had lethal levels of morphine in her system when she died, the attorneys said.
"Instead of admitting Ava to the hospital to get her blood pressure, heart rate and pain levels within acceptable and normal limits, Advocate employees sent Ava home with an excessive pain medications," lead trial attorney Matthew L. Williams said in a statement. "Ava’s body was yelling out to these clinicians, ‘help me!’, and they just ignored it."
The family of 11-year-old Ava Wilson, who died from morphine toxicity after being treated at a suburban cancer center in 2020, was awarded $20.5 million by a jury on Tuesday. (Provided by family lawyers)
What they're saying:
The defendants claimed Ava’s death was unforeseeable and that the medication prescribed was within the recommended range.
The family’s attorneys said a renowned neuropathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu, testified during the trial that Ava died because of the medication.
On Tuesday, a Cook County jury awarded the family $20.5 million.
"While nothing will ease the depth of Ava’s loved ones’ pain, the family appreciates that the jury recognized that Ava’s death was preventable and that she should still be with them today," attorney Aaron D. Boeder said in a statement.