When parents in West Virginia and elsewhere take their child to a hospital, they generally expect him or her to receive a certain quality of care in the process. Should a medical facility or health care professional fail to provide the appropriate level of treatment, the health of a patient could be place at significant risk. A family in another state has recently filed a lawsuit against an emergency room chain, claiming negligence led to the wrongful death of their 4-year-old daughter.
According to reports, the family took their child to the emergency at around 2 a.m. one morning after discovering she was suffering from a fever. She was also experiencing abnormal breathing patterns and a rapid heartbeat. After medical professionals ran several tests and administered fluids, the girl was sent home with a diagnosis of an ear infection and a prescription for medication.
After only a few hours had passed, her parents noticed that her condition has worsened. They rushed her back to the emergency room, and upon arrival, she had already slipped into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead soon thereafter. According to an autopsy, the primary cause of death was a bacterial infection in her brain. Failure to diagnose and treat a similar condition in a timely manner can prove devastating, and the family has since chosen to pursue a medical malpractice claim against the emergency room chain.
The loss of a child is something no family should ever have to endure. Those who experience a similar circumstance may wish to pursue recovery of monetary damages, but they may need assistance in navigating the process. By retaining the services of an experienced attorney, a client in West Virginia could obtain assistance in pursuing the full amount of compensation to which he or she is entitled through a wrongful death claim against the party or parties deemed culpable.
Source: dallasnews.com, “Keller family sues Texas emergency room chain for over $1 million after preschooler’s death“, Sabriya Rice, Nov. 10, 2017
