Hemorrhaging Patient Dies in ER, Family Seeks Damages

8/28/2011
Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton
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Hemorrhaging Patient Dies in ER, Family Receives Damages

The family of a victim of medical malpractice has received a settlement of $825,000, thanks to their Richmond, Virginia (VA), trial attorneys.

According to trial testimony, the patient underwent a lithotripsy procedure for the treatment of kidney stones. Three days later, the patient went to the emergency room with severe pain in his side. A CT scan revealed a large retroperitoneal hematoma and prominent perinephric and pararenal hemorrhages. Physicians who later became defendant, including an emergency room doctor and admitting urologists, failed to monitor or treat the man's hemorrhage over the course of nine hours. The medical personnel did not order coagulation studies or respond to the signs of hemorrhagic shock to reverse the coagulopathy, control bleeding or seek consults from surgery and interventional radiology.

Sadly, the patient remained on a gurney in the hallway of the emergency room during all that time. His condition continued to deteriorate until he was admitted into the intensive care unit. By then, he was in grossly critical condition. Despite attempts to save him, he died the next day.

This is a truly devastating story, and one that reveals the gross negligence that can sometimes occur in busy emergency rooms. Though no amount of money can ever bring back their loved one, it is good that the family sought justice and held the appropriate personnel responsible.

It's cases like this one that make people fearful of hospitals and doctors. By pursuing responsible parties and seeking justice for those injured or killed through the fault of those supposedly protecting and aiding patients, families like this one raise awareness of such medical malpractice. I congratulate fellow Virginia injury lawyers, the Stoneburners, on this good result.

CD

Category: Medical Malpractice/Doctor Mistakes

Labels: Attorney Death hematoma hemorrhage injury kidney stones lawyer medical malpractice negligence settlement VA Virginia

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm whose attorneys focus on personal injury and accident law and have extensive experience handling medical malpractice and doctor mistake cases. Please take a few moments to review our medical malpractice case results. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, but we're ready to come to you anywhere in Virginia, including Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk, VA, if you've been seriously hurt by the carelessness of a doctor, surgeon, nurse or pharmacist.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been recognized as among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Also, Rick and Jim have been named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law since 2010. Fewer than 5 percent of lawyers are chosen for this professional honor.

Members of our VA personal injury law firm have also been selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009. In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms. Our VA medical malpractice firm has the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization, which means we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill.

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