Lawsuit against gynecologist ends in $5 million verdict

By Daniel Hawn

Published on May 31, 2006

A statement released by the plaintiffs’ lawyers said the award is the largest ever issued in Illinois for this type of medical malpractice case.

The lawsuit was filed by a 57-year-old woman, who requested she remain anonymous, and her husband. According to the suit, in May 2000 the woman underwent a hysterectomy and a procedure designed to treat frequent urination. Dr. Taek Kim of Downers Grove performed the procedures.

The woman’s attorneys said the procedure that was intended to treat the woman’s urinary problem involved a synthetic sling that was inserted to support her urethra. The lawsuit claims that the sling grew infected, eventually eroding and causing the formation of scar tissue that enclosed the woman’s vagina.

Brian Hurst, one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, said the woman did not suffer from the urinary condition for which she was treated. He said Kim failed to perform the testing that would have revealed this information.

Attorneys for Kim said the procedure performed was intricate and that the results were outside the control of their client.

According to the woman’s attorneys, the jury’s award included damages for disfigurement, pain and suffering, and loss of a normal life.

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