Sometimes doctors in New York fail to exercise reasonable degrees of care when treating patients, which may lead to serious harm to patients. In one situation in another state, a woman suffered a hemorrhage in the brain while she was undergoing treatment at a hospital. A jury recently awarded the woman more than $44 million in the medical malpractice case.
The jury ended up finding the medical center 65-percent liable. In addition, the attending doctor was found to be 35-percent liable. These parties were deemed liable for not recognizing that the woman was having an adverse reaction to the anticoagulant medication heparin. She received this medication after receiving treatment for a tumor that was benign. The tumor was found on tissue that covered her brain.
The brain hemorrhage that the woman suffered during her treatment process led to a brain injury that left the woman paralyzed. Following the verdict, the health system involved in the medical malpractice said it was disappointed in the verdict. It also said it continued to believe that it has provided appropriate care and that it planned to appeal the decision.
If a patient’s medical condition is not appropriately assessed by medical professionals in New York and the patient ends up suffering as a result, the patient has the right to file a medical malpractice lawsuit for compensatory damages. Punitive damages may also be sought and are awarded in cases of egregious fault. Liability must be established through competent proof submitted to the civil court hearing the case before financial damage claims will be determined.
Source: bizjournals.com, “Jury awards $44M to patient in Philadelphia medical malpractice lawsuit“, John George, April 28, 2016
