Medical malpractice refers to acts of negligence and a deviation from the accepted standards of medical practice on the part of medical professionals. Recently in Louisiana, the daughters of a man who passed away filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital where their father was a patient.
The 85-year-old man was admitted to the Ochsner Clinic Foundation after complaining of chest congestion. The patient was already suffering from pneumonia and a high fever, and was also diagnosed with a heart ailment. Parkinson’s disease and hypertension were also diagnosed and there was an infection on his toe. The man’s daughters claim that after their father was admitted to the hospital, his condition worsened. He had trouble breathing, his kidneys were not functioning properly and there was fluid buildup in the man’s lungs.
The two doctors, who were also named in the medical malpractice lawsuit, were asked to move the patient to the intensive care unit, which they allegedly refused to do. Intravenous fluids were administered to the patient, but they did not seem to be of much help. Later, the patient was transferred to the ICU, where he passed away after a few days. The autopsy revealed that the deceased patient’s lungs were full of fluid at the time of his death. The lawsuit states that the defendants did not treat the patient for pneumonia and other ailments, which eventually led to the man’s death.
If convicted, the defendants may have to pay compensation for damages, including mental anguish, physical pain, wrongful death and medical expenses. The court may also order the defendants to pay the funeral expenses of the deceased man.
Source: LouisianaRecord.com, “Daughters of 85-year-old man who died at hospital file medical malpractice lawsuit,” Kyle Barnett, May 6, 2015
