Plainfield Surgeon Guilty of Medical Negligence; Patient Awarded $1 Million

An elderly woman was awarded more than $1 million after a botched orthopedic surgery left her with nerve damage.

Last week, a Will County jury found orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Burt and his practice group, Midwest Sports Medicine Institute in Plainfield, guilty of medical negligence stemming from a July 2009 procedure. During the surgery, Burt cut a patient's median nerve, causing permanent damage, according to a press release from attorneys Bradley Pollock and Adam Kruse of Walsh, Knippen, Pollock & Cetina law firm in Wheaton.

Pollock and Kruse represented Virginia Faletti, an 82-year-old from the Kankakee area. The woman sued Burt following what was intended to be a routine surgery to treat carpal tunnel syndrome in July 2009.

During a seven-day trial, Burt admitted that he cut Faletti's median nerve, calling the injury a "complication" that did not constitute malpractice, according to the press release. 

Faletti and several family members testified that the injury has had "profound effects" on her life. According to her attorneys, Faletti subsequently underwent reconstructive nerve surgery in an attempt to repair the damage, "but it was only partially successful, leaving her with permanent deficits."

On June 18, a Will County jury that Burt and Midwest Sports Medicine Institute guilty of medical negligence. 

The jury awarded Faletti $1,066,000 in damages. 

On Tuesday, a representative of Midwest Sports Medicine Institute said there would be no comment from the facility.