Cann v. Life Products Inc.
Case Number 84 L 3074
Circuit Court of Cook County, IL
$10 Million Award

Animation Takes The Stand Judging the Effectiveness of computer animations in the courtroom Computer Graphics World November 1991

After a six-week civil trial, a Cook County jury awarded $10,080,000 to a former Aurora girl who was left severely brain damaged, partially blind and crippled because of a malfunctioning breathing machine. Her doctor, a major Chicago area university medical center and a medical equipment company were found liable for her condition. The multi-million dollar verdict was one of the largest awarded in Illinois in 1991.

The suit was filed in 1984 on behalf of 10 year old girl who was born with an inability to breathe while sleeping that required her to use a ventilator. Immediately after she was born, the infant spent seven months at a major Chicago area university hospital in 1981, before being discharged with a ventilator for her to use at night to aid in her breathing while she slept.

The testimony and evidence at trial clearly showed that the ventilator was not properly set up when she went home, and there was no appropriate discharge plan for follow-up care while using the ventilator. Over the next nine months she was slowly suffocating, causing parts of her brain to waste away and erode her vision, speech, coordination and intelligence. During that time she made 11 visits to the hospital, but doctors and staff failed to detect any problem with the ventilator. In 1982, the young girl suffered a near fatal stroke that left her partially paralyzed and brain damaged.

Prior to trial, 72 depositions were taken from witnesses and experts throughout the United States. Through the use of Summation litigation support software, Ed Walsh was able to store, organize, index and retrieve all witness testimony on his notebook computer. During the trial, each day's testimony was transcribed and also loaded into his notebook computer. At various times throughout the trial, Ed Walsh actually cross examined witnesses while confronting them with their testimony on his notebook computer screen.

During the trial Ed Walsh and Jim Knippen used 2D computer-generated animation to show the jury how the respiratory and circulatory system was affected by the faulty ventilator.

This breakthrough approach to educating juries during high stake trials is but one of many inovative ways that Walsh, Knippen Knight & Diamond use in providing clients with the best possible legal expertise.

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