Sometimes the simplest things can turn into the most complicated. In the medical field, this can spell tragedy. Although medical professionals take an oath to cause no harm to their patients, far too often their mistakes cause serious injuries and death. In the aftermath of one of these instances, victims and their surviving family members can be left with an extensive amount of damages, which can be physical, emotional and financial in nature. Taking legal action may help alleviate these damages and impose accountability.
One family successfully did this recently after filing and winning on a medical malpractice claim against a doctor and the hospital at which he works. According to reports, the lawsuit came after a man died shortly after going into the hospital for a relatively minor surgical procedure. The operation, which was to remove chicken from the man’s throat, was successful, but during the operation he was given a blood thinner that caused him to bleed excessively, suffer a stroke, and later die.
As it turns out, the man had already been on blood thinners at the time he was administered the additional blood-thinning medication. Several witnesses at the trial, including experts and one of the doctors who treated the patient, agreed that he should not have been administered the drug. The family was awarded more than $2.5 million for their damages caused by the medication error, which will help alleviate some of their losses.
It can be difficult to consider taking legal action in the aftermath of such a devastating event. Yet, by pursuing a legal claim, a victim and his or her family may be able to find an outlet for their anger, frustration and sadness, allowing them to find a sense of justice and closure. The process isn’t easy, though, and many of these hospital negligence claims are aggressively defended against. For this reason, it might be wise for medical malpractice victims and their families to consider discussing their case with a competent legal professional.
