Medical advances can turn the deadly medical conditions of yesterday into the easily curable conditions of today. However, curing such conditions today is still dependent on a doctor’s ability to provide an accurate diagnosis. Failing to do so can allow that easily detectable and remediable ailment to once again turn deadly. Oregon families should take note of what they can do should such a tragic event strike them.
Such a failure to diagnose happened recently to a young medical school graduate who went to the hospital after suffering several days of headaches and unexplained bruising. A wrongful death lawsuit filed by her family claims doctors failed to run head-imaging tests and refer her to a neurologist for almost two days, causing the blood clot condition she had to worsen. The victim eventually suffered cerebral hemorrhaging, a stroke and permanent brain damage, all of which led to her death.
The loss of a loved one can leave a family devastated. While struggling to cope with the reality that they will never hear or see their loved one again, a family may also have to deal with financial issues that arise from the incident. Medical expenses and funeral costs can mount, and the lost loved one’s wage disappears. These financial circumstances can make a time of mourning even more difficult, and can lead to a sense of hopelessness.
Yet, these families can find hope in the form of a wrongful death lawsuit. An Oregon attorney can help the family understand the process, file the necessary documents, and provide strong legal argument in an effort to show the medical mistake that caused the victim’s death was caused by negligence. Compensation may be awarded for a successful claim, which may ease a surviving family’s financial burdens. Hopefully then the family will be able to use their time to remember their lost loved one and attempt to move past the accident that so tragically took him or her from them.
Source: The Times-Tribune, “Lawsuit: Negligence in death of young doctor,” Bob Kalinowski, Jan. 9, 2014