A woman can breathe a sigh of relief after she was awarded millions on behalf of her deceased husband. Reportedly, her husband died after his heart condition was misdiagnosed as a stomach illness. Illinois patients may benefit by gaining an understanding of their rights if they or family members have been victims of hospital negligence.
The husband made a visit to the emergency room back in 2008 after he felt ill for a couple of days. When he arrived at the hospital, he informed the medical staff that he had symptoms of chest pain and other heart complications. After being in the emergency room for just five hours, he was released. At some time after arriving back home, the husband’s illness still did not subside and he fell backwards while holding his chest. The wife contacted emergency crews, and he was transported to the hospital where he later died.
According to the lawsuit, the attending doctor was required to take into consideration a possible heart condition before discharging the patient. In addition, the doctor never ordered a blood test for cardiac damage, which could have resulted in an appropriate diagnosis. The trial lasted for seven days, and the jury came back with a verdict awarding the woman $4 million.
Hospital negligence can be dangerous and even deadly, and this case is an example of that. Appropriate standards of care could have possibly produced a correct diagnosis for the patient, which could have prompted an earlier intervention. When death occurs due to substandard care, surviving family members are left to mourn their loss. Illinois families may have legal recourse by filing medical malpractice claims on behalf of the deceased to seek recovery of financial damages.
Source: al.com, “Walker County jury awards woman $4 million in medical malpractice case“, Kent Faulk, Aug. 20, 2014
Source: al.com, “Walker County jury awards woman $4 million in medical malpractice case“, Kent Faulk, Aug. 20, 2014