BETTENDORF, Iowa — A Scott County jury has awarded more than $1.6 million to the family of Steve Schwarz, a LeClaire man who died in July 2020 following spinal surgery.
According to lawyers representing Schwarz's family, Schwarz had surgery in March 2020 at the University of Iowa Hospitals to have hardware inserted into his spine. After the surgery, he was discharged to Cedar Manor in Tipton for recovery.
While at Cedar Manor, Dr. Michelle Sprengelmeyer was assigned as his treating physician. The lawsuit alleged that Sprengelmeyer failed to follow the hospital's order for Schwarz to continue an antibiotics treatment targeting an MRSA infection, and that infection eventually turned lethal and claimed Schwarz's life.
“It’s difficult to reason that a common infection took (my dad) down. He rode ATVs, hopped in his car for cross-country road trips to surprise us (in California). He was a strong, active man who was just starting to enjoy his retirement,” Schwarz's daughter Heather Barrett said in a press release. “We thought he was getting the care he needed after surgery; it didn’t make sense that he wasn’t improving. It was too late when we discovered the infection wasn’t being treated with antibiotics…It was awful, my dad deserved better care.”
Bribriesco Law Firm represents Schwarz's family and said the medical negligence is on the rise. However, cases in Iowa are lower than ever.
"As an attorney, I've been practicing for 43 years," Attorney Bill Bibriesca said. "We have seen that there is an increase in this community and statewide."
Bribriesco claimed one out of four medical malpractice cases that go to trial are won by the plaintiff.
"The jury found Dr. Sprengelmeyer 100% at fault, and that is going to bring awareness on the importance of doctors just simply doing their job," Anthony Bribriesco, another attorney representing the family said. "Carefully reviewing medical records, this is something that's basic, but it is also lifesaving.”