Wrongful Death Due to Medical Error

 Great faith is given to professionals who practice medicine and care for the ill.  Medical professionals, however, are all too human. They make mistakes. They work long, stressful, tiring hours that can affect their judgment and actions. Sometimes, people are working jobs that they have not been trained for or have not had sufficient experience performing. Mistakes can and do happen.  Mistakes, unfortunately, can cost lives and leave devastation to the family of the deceased. 

The term “medical error” is also synonymous with negligence. It covers many categories.  Medical errors can be due to negligence or incompetence of people (doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, for example), dangerous minimally-tested pharmaceuticals, malfunctioning equipment or poorly manufactured equipment used in a medical setting. Also, the place medical errors can occur varies (clinic, hospital, long-term care homes). 

Human error accounts for the greatest number of things that can go fatally wrong in medicine:

  • Communication errors
  • Accidents
  • Unsanitary/infectious conditions
  • Treatment errors
  • Medication errors
  • Diagnosing errors
  • Surgical errors
  • Lab errors
  • Birthing errors
  • Anesthesiologist errors
  • Failure to monitor
  • Abandonment
  • Misreading test results

Equipment errors can range as well:

  •  Failing equipment (diagnostic equipment, monitoring equipment, beds, etc)
  • Manufacturer errors in equipment (diagnostic machines, or surgically implanted items)

Even though advances are made in science and medicine at a staggering rate, human error still occurs. Advances and technology don’t necessarily make for a safer, more reliable medical experience. As medicine becomes more advanced, and as fields of medicine become more specialized- the greater the chances are of communication errors happening because there are so many more people involved in an ill person’s care than a few decades ago. 

Death due to a medical error can leave the dependents of the deceased with hefty medical, hospital, estate, and burial expenses. Future financial needs can be in a state of limbo and woefully inadequate. The emotional toll of a family’s loss goes without saying. If you have been affected by the wrongful death of a loved one due to a medical error,  call the Sweeney Law Firm for a review of the facts by our experts. The initial consultation is free. If we agree to accept your case, we will handle your case on a contingency fee basis, which means we only get paid if there is a settlement or recovery of funds for you.