When someone in Indiana is injured or seeking quality medical treatment, they often rely on the education, experience, and vigilance of qualified health care professionals to provide effective care and assistance. Unfortunately, due to a variety of reasons including human error, side-stepping the rules and even fatigue, doctors can make mistakes which put their patients at risk of injury or death.
In a recent case in New York, one family is suing a medical provider for millions of dollars following the death of their family member who was an inmate at a county jail. The family claims that medical negligence is to blame for the man’s death because he was denied critical care during his stay at the jail. The medical provider named in the lawsuit is no longer employed by the jail. Reports detail that the man had a blood clot that had formed in the veins of his legs. Due to neglectful medical care, the blood clot grew and spread to the man’s lungs ultimately resulting in his death. Additionally, he had an opioid dependency which was not effectively treated. Pancreatitis was another cause of the man’s death listed in the report. When the man showed signs of distress and required immediate medical care, reports showed that he was not treated until nearly five hours later. Officials suspect that the man is not the only inmate whose death was caused by the medical neglect and malpractice of the former provider.
For families who have loved ones that have been injured at the hands of a trusted medical professional, they may wish to utilize the knowledge and experience of an attorney. A legal professional can facilitate in establishing grounds for claiming medical malpractice.
Source: Newsday, “Family of inmate who died in Nassau jail custody sues,” Bridget Murphy, Dec. 6, 2017