Former actor Bill Paxton died last year after suffering complications caused by a heart surgery. The 61-year-old actor was known for his roles in the movie “Twister”, “Titanic” and “Apollo 13.” Paxton’s surviving family members filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the heart surgeon and hospital responsible for his care. According to the family, the surgeon did not disclose that he lacked the necessary experience to perform the high-risk and unconventional procedure. The lawsuit alleges that additional hospital staff members were negligent while providing care to Paxton.
There are scenarios where you could file a wrongful death lawsuit against a medical provider, hospital or clinic. Like the case mentioned above, wrongful death lawsuits against these parties generally involve allegations of medical malpractice. Medical malpractice occurs when a hospital or medical provider’s treatment has deviated from the professional standard of care, and a patient dies or suffers an injury as a result. Certain types of medical mistakes can lead to these outcomes. These mistakes may include but are not limited to:
Compensation from a wrongful death lawsuit can help cover funeral expenses, medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.
Last week’s blog discussed how hospitals or doctors are not always forthcoming when mistakes have resulted in an injury or death. For this reason, it is wise to speak with a medical malpractice law firm that has experience handling these cases. An attorney could investigate what happened to help you determine whether medical malpractice may have occurred.
The Washington DC medical malpractice lawyers at Regan Zambri Long PLLC could help you determine whether you could pursue compensation. You could speak to one of our attorneys at no cost by calling (202) 463-3030 or by describing your situation on our confidential case review form.
Tagged DC, HospitalSafety, PatientSafety, WrongfulDeath