Former Marine died due to missed diagnosis

News of medical errors can be all-too easy to find these days. In Pennsylvania and around the nation, more and more reports are published detailing injuries that resulted from medication errors, items left inside patients’ bodies after surgeries and more. Some situations involve a failure to diagnose problems accurately in time to properly address them. No matter the cause, the results can leave victims with serious injuries or even result in death.

A woman in Arizona is speaking out these days and asserts that her husband’s death at an area Veteran’s Affairs hospital should have been able to be prevented. The man was 91 years old at the time and had gangrene in his leg that developed after he fell in the hospital. Unfortunately, the gangrene was originally said to be only a bad bruise by medical staff. That misdiagnosis led to a worsened condition and delayed treatment that his wife says eventually caused his death.

It was a full week between the time that the man fell and the true problem was identified. By the time the former Marine’s gangrene was properly diagnosed, the situation had progressed to the point of affecting some of his organs. This made what would have been a potential solution—a surgery to amputate the affected leg—not as viable. The man died as a result. He originally sought medical care because of a dizzy spell he had encountered.

Family members of patients who die due to the actions of a negligent physician or other medical caregiver can be left wondering what to do. Consulting with an experienced attorney may be a way to learn how to find some justice in a tragic situation.

Source: ABC KGUN Channel 9, “’The VA did him in’ Widow says Tuscon VA missed gangrene diagnosis,” Craig Smith, June 25, 2014