Misdiagnoses Leads to Wrongful Death In Illinois Malpractice Case

From time to time a doctor’s negligence can have serious and lasting consequences. 

Patients trust doctors with their health and well being and go to doctors for help when they are feeling most vulnerable. Doctors have important protocol to follow in order to properly diagnose and treat patients that come to them with concerns about their health. A doctor’s failure to properly diagnose a condition can lead to serious complications or even death for some patients. Because the stakes can be so high, it is crucial for both doctors and patients that everything possible is done to find the very best treatment. And these cases can become instances of wrongful death when doctors, hospitals, or staff members are negligent. When medical malpractice or wrongful death occurs, contacting a medical malpractice attorney is the next step in holding the accountable parties responsible and seeking justice.

The father of an Illinois woman who died after being treated at two different hospitals alleges misdiagnoses as a cause that led to his daughter’s death. He relates that his daughter went to the Express Care center at Anderson Hospital in December of 2011 where she complained of trouble getting enough oxygen, chest pains, and shortness of breath. She was initially diagnosed by the physician at the urgent care center as having bronchitis and she was released. But over the next five days her condition worsened and she sought care at the emergency room at Community Memorial Hospital. The emergency room doctor at Community Memorial diagnosed her as having pneumonia and she was again discharged and released. The next afternoon, however, she was back in the emergency room suffering from a heart attack. The doctors were unable to save her and less than 30 minutes later she died.

According to her father, the autopsy showed that his daughter died of pulmonary thromboembolism, which is a lack of oxygen to the lungs due to obstruction. He is suing both hospitals for wrongful death and negligence, alleging that both doctors misdiagnosed his daughter and did not perform the necessary tests that would have led to an accurate diagnosis and the right treatment that could have saved her. He is asking for 200,000 in damages and court costs; his lawyers are hoping to take the case to jury trial.

Physicians have years of training and are entrusted with following protocol in order to determine the correct diagnosis and find the best way to treat patients so that they can regain their health. Many times doctors make honest mistakes, but making sure that no stone is left unturned when it comes to a patient’s care and treatment is important. From time to time a doctor’s negligence can have serious and lasting consequences, or in tragic cases like this girl, even lead to death.

If you or a loved one has experienced misdiagnosis or suspects that malpractice has occurred, contact a medical malpractice attorney who can evaluate your case. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can help you to determine whether or not you have a case that is worth pursuing. Malpractice attorneys are experienced in making sure that justice is served in cases where negligence occurred and understand that this is important in holding practitioners accountable for the way they treat patients.

photo credit: taberandrew