Last week may have seen the largest ever award given in a medical malpractice case in St. Louis. The multi-million dollar amount was awarded to the family of a woman who died from what was supposed to be a routine heart test. What had happened was that the 34-year-old wife and mother had seen a physician to check up on what seemed to be bronchitis. Tests revealed that she may actually have been experiencing heart problems, so she went to a specialist.
She went to have a cardiac catheterization performed. This is only supposed to be a test to determine whether there were any heart conditions present. A catheter, a thin tube, is inserted through the groin or arm and into the heart. Watching through an x-ray, medical professionals can utilize this catheter to get a blood sample from the heart region, check the quality of the blood flow at the heart, and discern how much oxygen is present in the heart. This test can also be used to assess the arteries. At that juncture, a doctor might also insert a stent if necessary for any blockage that is discovered. Cardiac catheterization is only supposed to last a half hour or an hour.
The medical experts are supposed to handle the process easily enough, and the patient is alert during it all (though the patient is given medicine to relax him or her). Admittedly, there is the chance that a stroke or heart would be triggered in this process, but the chances of this are quite rare. Usually the threats to one's health are minimal. At worst, many people can expect to suffer from some blood clots, low blood pressure, or exacerbation of current kidney issues. All these are very treatable problems. Usually a patient only runs the danger of sustaining bruises and some bleeding.
When the woman underwent this process, however, a coronary artery was sliced, this vital artery being hurt by the catheter's edge. This caused the artery's inner lining to fail. The woman's heart lost a great deal of the blood flow it needed. Surgery was desperately needed, but it took 50 minutes for her to arrive at the surgery room, according to the malpractice suit. This lawsuit also stated that she had almost died by that time already. The surgery was not enough to save her life at that point.
According to one of the family's attorneys, the woman barely had a history of cardiac health problems. The clinic said that this tragic incident was a "rare complication" that they responded to in the best way that they could. A jury of twelve voted 11-1 to award the family $10,831,155 to the family, the woman's husband and three kids. The children are 5, 9, and 11 years old respectively.
In response to this result, the attorney said, "We were pleased that this victory was rendered for [this] family, but there was no celebration." Compensation can only do so much, after all. There is no reversing an accident. If these tragic results were caused by medical professionals' negligence however, then you should not be further burdened by the costs that their failure caused. This can mean astronomical medical fees, loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, loss of companionship, and so much more. A fair settlement or jury award can mean that you are covered for all this, easing a few of the many hardships you might be facing in this time. Whether you or a loved one has suffered from a misdiagnosis, a poorly performed procedure, a dangerous drug prescription, or some other negligence, talk to a medical malpractice lawyer. Learn how you might be able to get the compensation that you deserve.