A wrongful death case has recently come up here in Illinois involving an alleged medication error.
The case involves a hospital in Springfield and a now-deceased woman who, according to one of her relatives, was given care at the hospital in June 2012.
The relative claims that, while the woman was at the hospital, a doctor gave the woman an unnecessary dose of the blood thinner enoxaparin. According to the relative, the woman died the following day as a result of being given this dose.
The relative accuses the hospital and the doctor of malpractice in relation to the incident and has brought a wrongful death lawsuit against them. One wonders what will occur in this case as it goes forward.
The allegations in this case underscore a major point: medication errors can be incredibly harmful. Thus, one hopes that all medical professions make sure to exercise proper care and judgment when it comes to the giving of medications to patients. One also hopes that hospitals take all proper precautions to prevent medication errors from happening to their patients, such as having proper policies and processes in place when it comes to the administration of medications.
If a person suspects that a hospital or doctor committed negligence that resulted in them or a loved one being subjected to a harmful medication error, they should consider consulting an experienced medical malpractice attorney. Experienced medical malpractice attorneys know what to look for when investigating whether medical negligence played a role in a negative medical result and can help a victim and/or their family know what their options are.
Source: The Madison-St. Clair Record, “Springfield hospital and doctor accused of malpractice sued in St. Clair County,” Kelly Holleran, Nov. 5, 2013