From doctors to nurses and assistants, all health care providers play a role in successful medical treatment. If any of these medical professionals neglect their duties, the patient will suffer the consequences. Families in Kentucky have a right to seek legal action when negligence leads to death or injury. According to a medical malpractice case in another state, the carelessness of a nurse led to the death of a patient.
The lawsuit was filed by a widow who claimed that negligent care killed her husband. The plaintiff said her husband was a diabetic with high blood pressure and visited the emergency room with complaints of dizziness and confusion. According to the lawsuit, doctors discovered a collection of blood in the man’s brain and performed a successful surgery to treat the condition. After improving in the intensive care unit, the man was transferred to a regular hospital room, the lawsuit said. Allegedly, the man’s nurse attempted to insert a feeding tube, but she struggled with the insertion.
The plaintiff claimed that her husband became distressed, and when the woman questioned the nurse, the nurse became agitated. A short time later, another nurse discovered the feeding tube had been incorrectly inserted into the man’s lung. The lawsuit alleged that, when the feeding tube was removed, it deflated the man’s lung and he basically suffocated. The man died a short time later. Reportedly, the plaintiff was awarded over $1.5 million in the lawsuit.
When a patient seeks medical treatment, he or she trusts that medical providers will perform their duties to the best of their abilities. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. In Kentucky, anytime a loved one is lost as a result of medical malpractice, the surviving family members can take action by consulting a seasoned attorney. Damages from a successful lawsuit could help with end-of-life expenses and other financial losses.