State to pay half of $3.5 million settlement with Springville couple

DES MOINES - A Springville couple has agreed to a $3.5 million settlement of a lawsuit stemming from claims of negligent medical treatment resulting in permanent neurological damage.

The State Appeal Board on Monday approved a $1.75 million payment to Kris Sheridan Hill and his wife, Cathy, as part of a settlement of claims relating to treatment of a subdural hematoma Hill suffered in an all-terrain vehicle accident July 24, 2010. Iowa Solicitor General Jeffrey Thompson said University Physicians will make an equal payment to the Hills.

The Hills alleged medical negligence at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, claiming doctors should have acted sooner to prevent permanent neurological damage. The Hills said he received three CT scans and an MRI over 11 days - during which he reported severe headaches. Kris Hill was taken to UIHC expecting immediate surgery. However, UIHC doctors chose to observe and treat him with anti-seizure and anti-inflammatory medications, according to the Hills.

Eventually, he underwent two surgeries, suffering a brain stem stroke during the second, the Hills said, and as a result, he suffered a partial loss of vision and cognitive skills.