$6.75M settlement with Elgin hospital in brain infection lawsuit

Attorneys for the family of a 68-year-old woman disabled by a brain infection say they've reached a $6.75 million settlement with an Elgin hospital and doctors involved in her care.

The Chicago law firm Burke, Wise, Kaveny and Morrissey represented the family of Judith Strzalka. Their lawsuit claimed Provena St. Joseph Hospital and two doctors misdiagnosed her with a stroke. She was later correctly diagnosed with a brain inflammation caused by the same virus that causes cold sores. The lawsuit claimed the delayed diagnosis caused her disabilities.

The hospital released a statement calling the situation "an extremely rare and complex medical scenario" that may affect only a few hundred Americans annually. The statement says hospital officials "felt it prudent to settle the matter" in the interest of all the parties.