CHICAGO, IL – A Cook County jury has awarded $43.3 million to the estate of Anna Wyrwal, a 32-year-old woman who was left permanently unresponsive following a series of critical medical errors during an emergency visit to Community First Medical Center in 2020.
The verdict, reached on April 10, 2025, is one of the largest medical malpractice awards in recent Cook County history.
What Happened to Anna Wyrwal?
Anna entered the ER with symptoms like stridor and speech loss—indicators that were later diagnosed as psychological, not physical. But emergency physician Dr. Eric Toone misinterpreted the symptoms and attempted multiple failed intubations, followed by an incorrectly performed cricothyrotomy.
The result was prolonged anoxia and cardiac arrest, leaving Anna permanently brain-damaged and unresponsive.
“Anna didn’t require any airway intervention at all,” said Michael Kosner, partner at Deratany & Kosner, the firm that represented her family. “The tragedy is that the doctor caused the exact harm he thought he was preventing.”
A Fight for Justice
The case, filed in April 2022, culminated in a 4.5-hour jury deliberation. The jury sided with the plaintiff after reviewing extensive expert testimony, medical records, and reconstructions of the ER incident.
Anna now resides in a ventilator hospital in Barrington, IL, requiring 24/7 care for the rest of her life.
“This verdict sends a powerful message about evidence-based care and physician responsibility,” added Thomas Stewart, co-lead attorney on the case.
Legal and Ethical Implications
This outcome raises critical questions in the medical field:
- Can emergency staff accurately distinguish between mental health and physical symptoms?
- Are current ER protocols enough to protect patients from misdiagnosis under pressure?
The case also highlights the long-term burden families face when catastrophic medical errors occur.
Do you believe hospitals need stricter standards for psychological evaluations in the ER? Have you or someone you know experienced a medical misdiagnosis? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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