It is difficult to watch a loved one struggle as a result of a medical condition. The knowledge that his or her condition is the result of another's negligent acts likely makes the emotional turmoil even stronger. Unfortunately, there are those in Pennsylvania who are suffering as a result of medical malpractice. In these circumstances, there are legal options. For example, one out-of-state woman has recently been awarded $20 million as a result of the death of her mother.
According to reports, the 79-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital in 2011. She was expected to stay there two weeks for rehabilitation and would then live with her daughter. When she was admitted, clear instructions were allegedly given that she was allergic to opiates.
Almost at the end of her stay, the woman was found unresponsive in her bed. Following revival attempts, she was transported to a different hospital in a coma. Tests revealed that the woman had opiates in her system. Although she was stabilized and transferred to her daughter's house, she is said to have suffered brain damage as a result of the opiates and died months later. The jury in the case ruled in the daughter's favor following three hours of deliberation.
The monetary award will likely do little to ease the emotional burden the woman's daughter is experiencing. However, it can help with the expense of the additional medical care that her condition required as well as funeral expenses. Often, successfully presented medical malpractice lawsuits in Pennsylvania also spark a careful examination of procedures and often initiate changes that will protect patient health and safety in the future.