$500,000 jury verdict against an orthopedic surgeon for improperly repairing a wrist fracture. Carrie Taylor vs. Dr. Steven Potaczek. Carrie Taylor, a veterinarian in Pekin, Illinois, suffered a distal radius wrist fracture. Dr. Potaczek attempted to repair the fracture with K-wires and putty. Over the next year, Carrie’s wrist fracture did not heal so she sought a second opinion from an orthopedic group in Peoria who informed her that a plate and screws rather than K-wires and putty should have been used to treat her fracture. The Peoria surgeons performed a revision surgery and testified that as a result of Dr. Potaczek’s negligence, Carrie was likely to require a wrist fusion during her lifetime. The Defense offered $150,000 to settle the case prior to trial and offered $250,000 while the jury was deliberating which was then withdrawn prior to the verdict being rendered.
