A routine medical procedure turned deadly for one woman, and her family has since pursued and won justice for her memory. Delaware residents may be buoyed to hear that a 64-year-old out-of-state woman, who tragically died from surgical errors in 2009, was successfully represented by her family in court. The family was awarded a $3 million verdict in the malpractice suit.
According to the suit, the 64-year-old woman went to a local medical center to have an ovarian cyst removed, a procedure described as routine. During the procedure, her lawyers attested, her bowel was punctured. The attending doctor was accused of not adequately inspecting her bowel for perforations of this type, an error that was compounded by an alleged mishandling of two subsequent complaints on the part of the patient.
The jury determined that the severity of the woman’s condition, as evidenced by dangerous symptoms manifesting after the surgery, was not adequately expressed to the family. The woman died of complications of the surgery on Sept. 12, 2009. The jury since ruled in favor of the family, awarding $3 million to the woman’s widow.
Surgical errors leading to death are a statistical possibility for anyone undergoing surgery, but Delaware residents will agree that doctors and other medical professionals must be held to a high standard of professional care. In this case, the malpractice suit has proved successful in holding the victim’s medical caregivers accountable for her untimely and tragic death. This is a positive step forward in improving the quality of medical care across America.
Source: legal.blog.ajc.com, “DeKalb jury awards $3 million in medical malpractice case”, Bill Rankin, Jan. 27, 2016
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