Medical professionals in New York are expected to diagnose and treat their patients by exercising a reasonable degree of care. If they fail to do this, a patient may ultimately lose his or her life. One boy in another state recently lost his life due to alleged medical malpractice, which has led to a lawsuit filed against a clinic foundation, medical center and three doctors.
The grandmother of the boy filed the lawsuit. According to the suit, the boy went to the medical center with complaints about digestive issues and abdominal pain. Doctors diagnosed him as having a bowel obstruction. The boy was given an IV to hydrate him and underwent multiple tests that determined that he had a cancerous tumor in the bowel area.
The tests further showed that the boy’s bowel area was punctured. The boy ended up getting a blockage in a lung artery and died as a result. His grandmother said the blockage, or pulmonary embolism, happened due to the testing as well as the puncturing of his bowel area.
The grandmother filed a medical malpractice suit against the parties responsible for caring for the boy. She is seeking unspecified damages for severe injuries, wrongful death and survival damages. Monetary compensation from a successfully fought lawsuit in New York cannot bring back a patient who has died as a result of medical malpractice. However, it may help to address pain and suffering caused by the ordeal as well as help the surviving loved ones achieve a sense of closure in such a tragic situation.
Source: louisianarecord.com, “Medical malpractice claim filed against Ochsner, doctors over patient’s death“, Kyle Barnett, July 21, 2015
