Attorney Michael T. Mertz's Legal Cases

Medical malpractice

A Record Wrongful Death Verdict

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OUTCOME: Awarded to Roth family of $7,200,000

Shortly after I became a lawyer, I met with Mark Roth who selected our firm to represent his family in the wrongful death of his wife, Claire. The medical providers in the case failed to recognize that ... Claire was suffering from pneumonia. This disregard for Claire resulted in her death. I was, and still am, grateful for the confidence Mark showed in me and in our firm. The defendants thought the case was only worth around $1,000,000. Chris Hurley and I had developed a very strong case, though, and we knew it was worth far more. The jury agreed and we won an amount that still stands as the record high for wrongful death cases in DuPage County, Illinois.

Medical malpractice

Proving the Truth Through a Forensic Audit

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OUTCOME: $5,300,000 settlement for the Medina family.

More recently, we represented Chris Medina and Damien Medina in their case for the death of their wife and mother, Samantha. In this case, one of the defendant doctors claimed to have not been told tha ... t a MRI scan was ready for his interpretation. As a result, the MRI which clearly showed that Samantha was suffering from a basilar artery stroke, was not read until the following morning. By that time, it was too late for Samantha to survive her stroke. Through forensic audits of the hospital's computerized charting system, we were able to show that the doctor was lying – he had opened and read the MRI scan when surgery could still have been performed to save Samantha's life. The forensic audit we performed resulted in a settlement.

Personal injury

Bicycle Catastrophe

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OUTCOME: Successfully resolved for our clients.

I had the honor and privilege of representing Mark and Margaret Stephan. Mark's neck was fractured in a bicycle crash. The quick release system on his bicycle caused the front wheel to fall off while h ... e was riding, and propelled Mark headfirst into the pavement. Mark, who had previously been an accomplished marathoner and triathlete, was told his injuries would confine him to a wheelchair. Mark refused to accept that prognosis. Through incomparable determination and countless hours of rehabilitation, Mark re-gained enough mobility to be able to climb the Willis Tower and ride a recumbent tricycle across America. Mark said, "If you live through an accident like mine, you have two choices. One is to accept the injury and living the rest of your life with it. The second choice is to keep battling -- and never stop trying to get better." I am grateful to have been a part of Mark and Margaret's battle and am inspired by their refusal to never stop trying to get better. I am extremely proud that we improved those aspects of Mark and Margaret's lives we had the opportunity to make better.

Michael T. Mertz's Legal Cases (3)

A Record Wrongful Death Verdict

Proving the Truth Through a Forensic Audit

Bicycle Catastrophe