Sometimes a patient in New York ends up passing away after being treated at a hospital no matter how hard the hospital tried to preserve that patient’s life. Unfortunately, when this happens, physicians and other medical staff at the hospital may easily be targeted in a medical malpractice lawsuit. In one out-of-state case, the executor of a deceased woman’s estate has filed a lawsuit against a hospital, claiming that the hospital’s negligence caused the woman’s death.
According to the lawsuit, the deceased woman had been admitted to the hospital’s emergency room one day. She was complaining about seeing spots, she was near syncope, and her speech was garbled. At the time, she had already been diagnosed as having Parkinson disease. Because of the side effect of medicine she had been given, along with her medical condition, she was reportedly at a higher risk of losing her balance and falling.
The plaintiff claims that the woman ended up falling while trying to utilize a commode by her bed. The plaintiff alleges that because of the fall, the woman suffered head contusions and a broken hip, which caused her medical expenses, disability, pain and suffering. The woman ended up dying as a result of the injuries she suffered. According to the lawsuit, the hospital was negligent and careless because it did not provide enough fall prevention, a necessary sitter, or a call light that functioned properly.
As part of her lawsuit, the plaintiff is seeking over $50,000 and a jury trial. When physicians and other hospital staff in New York are sued because of the death of a patient at the hospital, proper legal guidance may help them to successfully defend themselves against the allegations. An attorney may be able to pinpoint weaknesses in the plaintiff’s case and ultimately enable the defendant to achieve a favorable defense verdict at a jury trial or even a favorable settlement depending on the circumstances surrounding the case.
Source: cookcountyrecord.com, “Family accuses health care provider of medical malpractice“, Philip Gonzales, May 10, 2016