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Chicago-area hospital faces wrongful death lawsuit

On Behalf of | Sep 29, 2016 | Wrongful Death

Going to the doctor can be an anxiety filled experience for just about anyone. A patient may be experiencing symptoms, but not know the cause. When this happens, imaginations can run wild and individuals can think that they have one of the worst medical conditions. Yet, even if this is the case, experienced medical professionals should be able to adequately treat an individual, many times leading to an improved or completely remedied condition.

However, far too often doctors and nurses make mistakes with fatal consequences. This happened recently at a Chicago-area hospital. There, the victim allegedly succumbed to a cardiopulmonary arrest. Her family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital, claiming that they improperly monitored the victim’s respiration. The lawsuit also claims that the defendants removed ventilator support unnecessarily.

In a medical malpractice lawsuit like this, the victim’s family carries the burden of proof, meaning that they have to prove negligence and causation by a preponderance of the evidence. This requires analyzing the applicable standard of care and presenting evidence that attempts to show that the errant medical professional failed to meet that standard of care. This can be a complicated issue that may require testimony from an expert witness. Even once a deviation from the standard of care is proven, a plaintiff must still show that the deviation caused the victim’s injuries or death.

In cases like this, proving negligence can be difficult. However, legal help is available to those who think their loved one died due to medical malpractice. If appropriate, the victim’s loved ones may be able to pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and other damages

Source: Cook County Record, “South Shore Hospital blamed in wrongful death lawsuit,” Louie Torres, Sept. 22, 2016

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