Bradley M. Cosgrove and Craig J. Squillace, partners at Clifford Law Offices, obtained a record $66 million judgment on behalf of a 39-year-old mother of four who bled to death following a negligent surgical procedure that went unnoticed. The jury returned a $56 million verdict, the highest verdict or settlement against a plastic surgeon in the state of Illinois, according to the Jury Verdict Reporter. With post-judgment interest, the court entered the judgment for $66.262 million.
A three-man-nine-woman jury deliberated three hours on the afternoon of Friday, December 20, 2024, in the case of a Chicago plastic surgeon, Dr. Ayoub Sayeg, and his medical practices that negligently treated Idalia Corcoles, who had come to his clinic in November 2019 for liposuction and what is commonly known as a “tummy tuck.” Dr. Sayeg testified he never saw the patient post-op despite Corcoles bleeding internally for hours, which resulted in her suffering a cardiac arrest and ultimately dying. Dr. Sayeg has been sued for medical malpractice in other cases in the past.
“The negligence of this medical practitioner is so egregious that the jury knew they had to do the right thing for this innocent family,” Cosgrove said. Corcoles left behind her husband, Alejandro Cervantes, 38, and four children ranging in age from 10 to 22 years of age who live on the South Side of Chicago. “The jury obviously is sending a clear message that Dr. Sayeg ignored obvious signs that this patient was dying, and yet he and the entire team did nothing to save her.”
The trial of one week was held before Cook County Circuit Court Judge John H. Ehrlich at the Daley Center.
Corcoles underwent the surgery on November 23, 2019. She was in surgery for four hours, which ended at about 9 a.m., before being sent to post-op, where only a nurse was overlooking her recovery. Despite warning signs of lowering blood pressure and abnormal breathing, Dr. Sayeg never came to check on this patient and instead moved on to the next surgery despite her deteriorating condition.
By approximately 1:45 p.m. that day, an ambulance was called to take Corcoles from Dr. Sayeg’s office to Advocate Christ Hospital, where, despite life-saving efforts, including massive blood transfusions and surgery, she died the next day. It was found that the internal bleeding in her abdomen amounted to more than half the blood in her body.
Squillace, who also tried the case, said, “This family should be celebrating the holidays with their healthy wife and mother. Instead, it is another Christmas without the person who meant so much to all of them. When they lost her, they lost everything.”
Cosgrove, who this year alone has obtained more than $100 million in verdicts, is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an organization that names the top 100 plaintiffs’ lawyers in the country.
Squillace has secured a number of successful verdicts and settlements for his clients, including multi-million-dollar results.
For further information, contact Clifford Law Offices Communications Partner Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909 (cell).
pammenaker@cliffordlaw.com
www.CliffordLaw.com
Case No: 2021 L 2945
Attorneys for Defendants:
MR. PATRICK J. O’CONNOR
SMITH BLAKE HILL, LLC,
20 North Clark Street, Suite 1700
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 471-8080
poconnor@sbh-law.com
Representing the Defendants,
Ayoub Sayeg, M.D., 63rd Medical &
Surgical Center and Anti-Aging &
Cosmetic Institute of Chicago, Ltd.;
MR. ANDREW EVEREST,
EVEREST FIRM
2035 West Charleston Street
Chicago, IL 60647
(312) 927-2880
iplawdoc@yahoo.com
Representing the Defendants,
Ayoub Sayeg, M.D., 63rd Medical &
Surgical Center, Midway Cosmetic
Institute, Dr. Ayoub Sayeg, LLC,
Anti-Aging & Cosmetic Institute of
Chicago, Ltd., and Your New Looks
Chicago, LLC.