A tragic case of alleged medical malpractice has emerged from the Cincinnati VA Medical Center, where a man’s life was cut short due to what his estate claims was gross negligence. Julie Schimpf Kehres, acting as the administrator of Steven Covington’s estate, filed a lawsuit against the United States of America on November 19, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The complaint accuses the Cincinnati VA Medical Center of failing to provide adequate medical care, resulting in Covington’s untimely death.
The heart-wrenching story begins on August 30, 2024, when Steven Covington sought emergency medical attention at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center. According to court documents, Covington arrived at the emergency department complaining of severe abdominal pain and vomiting. Despite undergoing a CT scan and a chest angiogram that evening, both interpreted as normal by radiologists Navraj Grewal M.D. and Parul Gilardi M.D., it was later discovered that these scans showed an obstruction in the superior mesenteric artery—a condition requiring immediate surgical intervention.
Due to this oversight, Covington was admitted to a general medicine floor instead of receiving urgent surgical care. His condition deteriorated rapidly over the next day until he was finally transferred to intensive care. It wasn’t until early September 1st that Dr. Zishaan Farooqui identified the critical misdiagnosis and recommended an immediate transfer to University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC) for surgery. Tragically, by then it was too late; Covington’s bowel had become necrotic due to lack of blood flow—a fatal injury.
The lawsuit asserts that Covington suffered unnecessary pain and ultimately death due to negligent acts by employees at the Cincinnati VA who failed their duty to provide competent medical care. The complaint highlights how this failure deprived him not only of life but also robbed his family of future companionship and support.
Julie Schimpf Kehres seeks $6 million in compensatory damages from the United States government under allegations including wrongful death and medical malpractice under federal law—the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). She contends that more than six months have passed since filing an administrative claim with no response from Veterans Affairs—thus prompting this legal action.
Representing Kehres are attorneys Stephen P. O’Keefe and Stephen S. Crandall from Crandall & Pera Law LLC based out of Chagrin Falls, Ohio; they aim for justice through financial compensation for what they argue is undeniable negligence leading directly to Covington’s demise.
The case will be presided over by Judge Michael W. McShane under Case ID: 1:25-cv-00851-MWM within Ohio’s Southern District Court system—where it awaits further proceedings as families hope closure can come amidst their profound loss caused allegedly by those entrusted with protecting veterans like Steven Covington during vulnerable times such as these described herein today within our nation’s healthcare institutions designed specifically around serving those who served us all first bravely abroad before returning home seeking peace again thereafter domestically stateside here instead thereafter now still today even yet somehow still now still so far sadly unfulfilled thus far despite everything else tried already attempted unsuccessfully thus far before today finally once again trying anew once more now hopefully soon successfully achieved instead eventually after all somehow someday soon enough eventually indeed perhaps even sooner rather than later ideally hopefully finally conclusively resolved positively ultimately satisfactorily 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Source: 125cv00851_Kehres_v_United_States_of_America_Complaint_Southern_District_Ohio.pdf
