Jury says surgical errors resulted in man’s death

The end of the year is a popular and busy time for elective surgeries to occur in Delaware medical facilities and across the country. Many patients elect to have surgeries at the end of the year to avoid a new year’s deductible and to take advantage of the provided time off of work for the holidays for their recovery. Unfortunately for one woman, surgical errors and hospital negligence resulted in spending the holidays without her husband.

The woman’s 54-year-old husband chose to undergo surgery on his back. The surgery involved removing a disk and fusing the vertebrae in his spine. The surgery is usually performed to relieve pain and improve quality of life. Unfortunately, his recovery did not go as planned, and he died less than 24 hours following his surgery.  

The woman filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her husband’s medical providers and the medical facility where his surgery took place. The jury agreed with the woman’s claim that her husband’s nurses and attending physician did not respond quickly enough to her husband’s symptoms of uncontrolled bleeding following his surgery. The jury determined their negligence resulted in his death. The jury found that the surgeon did not bear responsibility for the patient’s death. The woman was awarded almost $4.5 million for her loss.

Understandably, losing a loved one expectantly is very difficult, and learning that the death may have been prevented may add to grief. Any Delaware family who suspects they may have lost a loved one due to negligence or surgical errors could benefit from speaking to a personal injury attorney regarding their options. In some cases, it is possible to receive compensation from negligent parties through a wrongful death lawsuit to help offset the financial stress of an unexpected death.

Source: savannahnow.com, “Jury awards almost $4.5 million in damages to Savannah widow for husband’s death following surgery“, Jan Skutch, Aug. 19, 2017