Accidents happen. When Oregonians find themselves the victim of a car accident, slip and fall or any other kind of mishap, they often need medical attention. Many of these cases require minimal care and heal quite quickly. Some, though, are more damaging than they first appear. Yet, if a doctor is not attentive and does not accurately give and read test results, a serious condition can go unnoticed.
This happened to a little boy last year after he ran into a pole while playing on a school’s playground. The boy was taken to the hospital, but after an enema was misused and x-rays that failed to show the boy’s real problem, he was diagnosed with constipation and sent home. Four hours later the boy’s parents called for an ambulance to take their child back to the hospital, but he died on the way. The cause of the boy’s death was a lacerated kidney and internal hemorrhaging. The boy’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the boy’s doctors claiming their misdiagnosis of his condition caused his death.
These cases are tragic, but sadly occur more often than we care to think. The loss of a loved one, especially a young child, can leave a family devastated. It is often the most difficult thing to deal with in life. At a time when the family is mourning their loss and trying to find a way to move on in remembrance of their loved one, they are also confronted with undeserved medical and funeral expenses. In the event of a medical mistake, the family must also cope with the knowledge that errant medical professionals are living their lives unpunished.
A lawsuit, though, give these families an opportunity to find relief while holding negligent professionals accountable. Negligence and causation must be shown in order to recover compensation, but an experienced attorney can assist with this process. If compensation is recovered, then the family might be able to get out of debt, obtain financial security, find closure and move on with their lives as best as possible.
Source: KVUE ABC, “Lawsuit: Hospital misdiagnosis led to boy’s death,” Janet St. James, Feb. 25, 2014