Personal Injury Law

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed After Illinois-Area Medical Malpractice

By Steven M. Levin and John J. Perconti

The Madison-St. Clair Record reported last week on a medical malpractice lawsuit that was filed on behalf of a woman who died following questionable treatment by several doctors at two hospitals?St. Elizabeth?s Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis and Belleville Family Medical Associates.

According to the details of the wrongful death lawsuit, the victim arrived at St. Francis in February of 2009 with severe neck pain. The victim had a history of diabetes and renal failure, but the doctor who saw her discharged her shortly after her arrival. Several days later the victim was back at the hospital after calling an ambulance with a string of problems including full body pain, abnormal vital signs, hyperventilation, and an inability to take fluids. She was also quickly discharged after this second visit.

The same day that she was discharged the woman visited her primary care physician at Belleville?however, she merely prescribed her pain medicine and sent her away. The next day the victim had received no improvement and went back to the hospital. It was only then that doctors discovered that she was suffering from pneumonia. The condition interfered with her oxygen flow?providing insufficient oxygen to her brain. She soon suffered an anoxic brain injury, sending her into a vegetative state.

The woman was placed on hospice care and died shortly after.

The grieving husband eventually filed this brain injury lawsuit against the negligent medical professionals who failed to take appropriate action after the repeated attempts by the women to explain her serious symptoms. Specifically, the suit cites the facility?s failure to notice the significance of the symptoms, run appropriate tests, and adequately diagnose her condition.

Full post as published by Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog on March 22, 2011 (boomark / email).