A local couple whose baby died in 2010 after an alleged mishap at a suburban hospital pharmacy has settled their wrongful death lawsuit for $8.25 million.
It's the largest settlement of its type in Illinois, attorneys for Fritzie and Cameron Burkett told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Baby Genesis Burkett died roughly six weeks after his Sept. 3, 2010, birthday at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.
After the incident, the family's attorney said the pharmacy technician incorrectly filled an intravenous bag with 60 times the amount of sodium that Genesis' doctor had prescribed. The attorney also said the hospital staff covered up the sticker on the IV bag that correctly described the amount of sodium with a sticker that displayed the doctor's original prescribed amount.
The family and their attorney filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
In a statement in 2011, a hospital spokeswoman said, ""It was determined that a data entry error was made in the formulation of the IV solution. The dosage of sodium for an IV bag from an order had been incorrectly entered into the machine that mixes IV solutions"
The hospital said in the statement it's taken "comprehensive steps across Advocate to ensure this type of tragedy does not happen again," adding: "our prayers continue to be with the family."
