My father-in-law suffered a heart attack that should have been avoided. He went to the hospital complaining of chest pains, but he was quickly dismissed and discharged with a diagnosis of heartburn.
We took him back the nest day because we knew it was something more, and he died in the car on the way to the hospital. We talked to a manager at the hospital and he told us that he was sorry for the misdiagnosis and offered to pay for all the medical costs.
Should we file a medical malpractice claim? How much money should we expect for something like this?
Answer:
You have every right to file a medical malpractice lawsuit, and you should expect much, much more than what the hospital is offering you. Often times, a hospital will have a risk management officer talk to patients who were treated negligently in order to minimize the cost of their mistake. But there offers don't come anywhere close to the amount of money they are required to pay by civil law for their negligence.
Depending on the age of your father-in-law, his income, medical costs, and the impact on your family, you should expect a lot more than just medical costs. You can sue them for all the lost income he would have earned if he were still alive, the pain and suffering caused by his loss and the impact of your family’s wellbeing. It's not uncommon for medical malpractice awards to be in excess of one million dollars.
Talk to a Medical Malpractice Lawyer to find out if you have a case, and how much money you can expect to receive from a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Good luck.
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Posted by Staff Writer on 01 Apr 2010