Medical malpractice suit follows woman’s death from pneumonia

Many people who arrive at a hospital in Massachusetts are experiencing a serious medical condition requiring intervention. Unfortunately, there could be devastating consequences if appropriate care is not provided at that time. One out-of-state woman recently filed a lawsuit against two doctors and a hospital, claiming their negligence in treating the woman whose estate she is administering constituted medical malpractice and led to her death.

According to court papers, the woman sought treatment at the hospital named in the suit in Dec. 2012. It is alleged that the doctors released her. That decision, court papers claim, ultimately led to the woman’s death the following day.

At the time of her release, the woman was reportedly in respiratory distress. Because the patient was having difficulty breathing and had a low blood count, it is claimed that the woman should not have been sent home. It is believed that she was suffering from pneumonia at the time of her release from the hospital. A demand has been made for monetary damages to cover medical bills, funeral costs, loss of companionship and mental anguish.

Most medical care providers in Massachusetts are well-trained professionals who would do everything in their power to ensure the needs of their patients are met. However, failure to meet an accepted standard of care can have devastating consequences, as this case seems to demonstrate. If medical malpractice can be proved in a case such as this, loved ones could achieve some measure of relief from the financial consequences of a person’s death. Additionally, a lawsuit such as this could cause doctors and other care providers to review their practices, potentially preventing other families from suffering in a similar manner.

Source: wvrecord.com, “Doctors accused of malpractice in pneumonia death“, Celeste Altus, Feb. 24, 2015