Family of recent med school grad file malpractice claim

The rate of medical errors throughout the United States is something of grave concern to all. The right to obtain and trust in the accuracy of medical care is something that all Pennsylvania citizens should enjoy. The causes of medical malpractice claims include many things including the failure to diagnose, a surgical error, a birth complication and related error or something else. Such actions or lack thereof can leave lifelong consequences for patients and their family members.

A news story recently published highlights that even medical personnel are able to be victims of medical negligence. A young doctor died shortly before she was scheduled to begin her pediatric residency and at the same hospital where the residency was planned. Her family recently filed a lawsuit on her behalf naming both Geisinger Health System and the Geisinger Health System Foundation as defendants.

The woman went to the hospital due to an extended stint of headache symptoms. According to the suit, a CT scan should have been ordered at the outset but was not. This scan could have shown the blood clot that eventually caused the patient to have a massive cerebral hemorrhage and associated stroke in enough time for it to be successfully treated. The family is including the woman’s future earnings as a pediatrician in the requested damages.

Delayed treatment combined with a failure to diagnose a condition can lead to a serious situation, as alleged in this case. Any person who believes that they or a family member has been the victim of such an action may wish to discuss the situation with a medical malpractice attorney to understand the laws in this area.

Source: TheTimes-Tribune.com, “Lawsuit: Negligence in death of young doctor,” Bob Kalinowski, January 9, 2014