Coping with the loss of a loved one is one of the most difficult things a person can endure. The only way to keep going is by living day to day, until one day you can find closure for your grief.
However, if someone you love died while under hospital care, you may not be able to find closure so easily. You may wonder if the doctors and nurses could have done something to prevent it—and how you will ever know the truth of what really happened.
If you think that the hospital staff would have told you if they made a mistake, think again. Many hospitals will do everything they can to cover up their errors, fearing legal retribution from the victims’ families. The mistakes are unfortunately commonplace and can include mistakes as little (or as large) as the following:
- Misreading a chart. Many patients are given the wrong dose of medication—or the wrong medication entirely—while in surgical recovery.
- Failure to treat a medical condition. If a medical condition is discovered in the course of the surgery, but the patient is kept unaware, the surgeon may be liable for malpractice.
- Removing the wrong organ from a patient. This may result in death if there is a life-threatening problem with the remaining organ, such as sepsis or cancer.
- Improper closing of a wound. If internal surgery is performed and bleeding is not stopped before closing the patient’s cavity, the patient may slowly bleed to death while in recovery.
- Retention of a foreign object. It is unfortunately common for doctors to leave a surgical instrument inside a patient’s body after surgery, which may lead to restricted breathing or tearing of the internal tissues.
- Surgical infection. If the surgical environment was not properly sterilized, your relative may suffer a serious post-operative infection, which can be fatal if his immune system is weak.
If your loved one died after surgery at Nortons Hospital in KY, the attorneys at Gray and White can help you get justice for his loss, as well as payment for end-of-life costs. Call us today at (800) 634-8767 or by filling out the contact form on the top of this page. Your one-on-one consultation is FREE, and we charge you nothing unless we win your case.