Family of man who died of surgical errors awarded $6 million.

The family of a man who tragically passed away after receiving improper care has found justice in a malpractice court, according to sources local to the story. Delaware residents will likely be buoyed to hear that the family of the 41-year-old man who died as a result of surgical errors and other deviations from standard care have won their malpractice case against the attending physician and the hospital for which he worked. The family was awarded $6 million on July 6. 

According to the filing, the man was involved in a minor traffic accident and a subsequent CT scan revealed what was termed a “small, asymptomatic mass” in his chest. As a result, he was referred to the attending physician, who recommended that surgery be conducted to remove the mass from the man’s connecting tissue. The surgery was performed on June 20, 2013.

The next day the man suffered massive multi-system organ failure and passed away. The family’s representation investigated the issues and, according to an expert opinion he obtained, determined that the physician and the hospital deviated from standard care in multiple ways, leading to the untimely death of the patient. The claim was filed shortly thereafter, and the family was awarded $6 million. Most of that sum will go to the man’s dependent children. 

Surgical errors are just one of many ways a physician can fail in his or her duty to “do no harm” according to their oaths. Delaware residents are reminded that even in the most tragic of cases, however, there are steps that can be taken to see justice done against those responsible for these sorts of errors. Seeking out the support of a qualified attorney in filing a malpractice suit can be the first step toward seeing that justice is carried out. 

Source: sharonherald.com, “Medical malpractice case settled for $6 million“, Joe Pinchot, July 8, 2016