What should have been a joyous time in a couple’s life quickly turned to pain and grief. Now, the couple’s child will grow up without a mother due to an emergency room misdiagnosis. Her husband, who is not from Kentucky, recently received a verdict awarding him more than $20.6 million for the injustice that led to his wife’s untimely and unnecessary death.
Within days after giving birth, the new mother began experiencing nausea, chills and pain, along with a fever. As her symptoms worsened, she went to an emergency room in her area. Even though there was no bacteria in her urine and test results indicated sepsis, the nurse practitioner diagnosed her as having a urinary tract infection and discharged her.
When the new mother continued to get worse and finally lost consciousness, doctors attempted to save her life, but to no avail. Her husband claimed that she may still be alive had it not been for the failings of the nurse practitioner the first time she went to the Minnesota hospital’s emergency room. The verdict included approximately $1.75 million in damages and $18.8 million in losses the family may incur in the future.
This case illustrates the severity of what can happen in the event of an emergency room misdiagnosis. Kentucky families who suffer similar losses may also have a claim for medical malpractice. If the evidence establishes that a loved one failed to receive the accepted standard of care or that a medical professional was simply negligent, it may be possible to receive restitution for the damages sustained in the aftermath of the death and any future damages as well.
Source: kstp.com, “Family of Woman who Died after Childbirth Gets $20M in Malpractice Suit”, Michael Oakes, Aug. 29, 2017
