When a loved one goes into the hospital for surgery, to give birth or for another reason, you expect him or her to come out healthier and stronger. Sometimes, errors are made that make that scenario impossible, leaving your loved one in pain or with injuries that he or she would never have expected.
When that happens, you and your loved one have a right to pursue a medical malpractice claim. The claim can help you obtain compensation for the injuries suffered as well as for missing days of work and other financial losses.
Take for instance this case out of Worcester, Connecticut. The Dec. 27 news reported that the family of a 78-year-old man who passed away at the UMass Memorial Medical Center won a medical malpractice claim against the hospital. The family claimed that the hospital took too long to care for their loved one.
The case states that the man was taken to the hospital on Easter Sunday in 2008 for congestive heart failure. He was suffering from an abnormal heart rhythm as well. He arrived and waited a shocking 11 hours before he was taken to a critical care unit. By that time, the man was no longer responsive, and he was placed on life support. Eleven days after he arrived at the hospital, he was taken off life support and passed away.
The hospital has spoken out and said it disagrees with the verdict awarding the family $250,000 for the man’s death. It did not say if it would be appealing the decision in the future.
Source: CT Post, “Family wins malpractice suit against UMass Medical Center,” Dec. 27, 2016