James M. Bream, Shareholder

Prior to joining Querrey & Harrow as a partner practicing in the Chicago office, Mr. Bream was a partner with the firm of Peterson & Ross.  He concentrates his practice in the defense of hospitals, managed care organizations, and physicians in professional liability programs and has handled all aspects of major medical malpractice cases in the trial and appellate courts.  Mr. Bream has tried medical malpractice cases and defended health care clients before the appellate courts.  He obtained substantial sanctions against an attorney for the improper filing of a malpractice suit and successfully defended the award of sanctions on appeal to the First District Appellate Court on behalf of two hospitals.  He has earned an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

In addition, Mr. Bream has extensive insurance coverage experience in the domestic and London markets.  He has monitored professional liability programs across the country on behalf of London and domestic excess insurers and reinsurers.   He has served on risk management committees for hospital clients and has advised hospital clients on areas of staff privileging, termination of life support, informed consent issues, EMTALA issues, responses to agency investigations and in drafting policies and procedures.  Mr. Bream further provides insurance coverage, staff privileging, contracting, lease negotiation, professional regulation, policy drafting and other healthcare counseling services to his varied healthcare clients.

Mr. Bream has addressed the issue of managed care liability before the Illinois Association of Defense Counsel, speaking on Managed Health Care Liability Issues at the IDC Annual Spring Seminar, as well as through in-service programs at several Chicago-area hospitals.  Mr. Bream has been a featured speaker at “Defensive Driving:  A Road Map for Managed Care,” the PLUS Medical PL Symposium, speaking as a panelist on “Managed Care Liability-Outlook for 2002 and Beyond,” at the PLUS International Conference, as the moderator for “The Medical Malpractice Crisis:  What About the Hospitals?,” at the CHRMS Annual Conference: “Patient Safety Today and Tomorrow,” at CHRMS Law Day: "What's on Your Website?", at the PLUS Annual International Conference on "The Medical Malpractice Crisis: What About the Hospitals?" at the American Association of Nurse Attorneys 24th Annual meeting on "Confessional Negligence Litigation: Where Do We Go From Here?" and has also presented lectures on medical charting, informed consent, consent by minors, EMTALA, HIPPA, advanced directives and liability theories to HMO’s, hospitals and physician groups.

Mr. Bream is married, the father of four children and President of the  Glenview/Northbrook School District 30 Board of Education and has coached travel soccer in Glenview.  He also serves on a charitable foundation board for a local hospital and is currently the co-chair of CHARACTER COUNTS! in Glenview.

Jim is a regular contributor to ReachMD on XM Radio, Channel 233. 

Memberships

• Chicagoland Healthcare Risk Management Society, Board of Directors
• Defense Research Institute
• Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel
• Illinois Association of Health Care Attorneys
• Professional Liability Underwriters Society
• Kingston's National Registry of Who's Who, 2002 ed, Life Member
• Phi Kappa Phi

Community Involvement

• President, School Board, Glenview/Northbrook School District 30
• Co-Chair, CHARACTER COUNTS!, Glenview, Illinois

Representative Matters

Recent Trial Experience
Heastie v. Olympia Fields, et al.
Defense of nurse in case involving 28% total body surface burns, amputation of digits and other disabilities.  Demand $8,000,000.  Verdict:  Not guilty.

Wilson v. Advocate Health Care, et al.
Defense of health plan and physician in alleged failure to diagnose colon cancer.  Successful mediation days before trial.  Result subject to confidentiality agreement.

Ingram v. Jackson Park Hospital, et. al.
Defense of hospital and emergency room personnel in alleged failure to timely treat status asthmaticus resulting in death of minor.  Settled at trial, during motions in limine, for nominal sum after drastic reduction in demand.

Clark v. Jackson Park Hospital, et al.
Defense of hospital in alleged failure to timely diagnose and treat ruptured bowel status post laparoscopic tubal ligation.  Dismissed by plaintiff without payment following motions in limine.  Verdict against remaining defendant returned for judgment of $1,016,000.

Prudinsky v. Weiss Memorial Hospital, et al.
Defense of hospital in multi-hospital case involving alleged failure to timely diagnose and treat pediatric appendicitis.  Settled on trial for $25,000 cost of defense.

Reed v. Jackson Park Hospital, et al.
Defense of hospital in alleged failure to diagnose and treat laceration of eye resulting in enucleation of globe and blindness.  Dismissed on motion following successful motions in limine.  Upheld on appeal.

Burbridge v. Michael Reese Health Plan, Inc.
Defense of HMO and physicians in multi-defendant litigation involving alleged failure to timely diagnose and treat renal failure requiring kidney transplant.  All counsel settled on trial, but we avoided managed care issues by way of motions to strike and pre-trial motions for summary judgment, resulting in settlement of $120,000 while codefendants paid a total of $1,380,000, against a demand of $5,000,000.