Hospital faces medical malpractice suit after death of teen

A 15-year-old out-of-state high school athlete was taken to the emergency room after he began complaining of shortness of breath and weakness. He received treatment for an asthma attack and was then sent home. Within a few hours, however, his heart went into cardiac arrest, and he died shortly thereafter. The hospital where he was treated as well as the physician who treated him are now facing a medical malpractice suit. When Maryland residents are injured or die due to negligent medical care, they or their loved ones are typically entitled to file a medical malpractice suit.

The family brought the suit against the hospital and the physician, claiming that the physician failed the teen. The suit claims that if the physician had performed his job correctly, he would have learned that the teen was suffering from what had been an undetected heart condition. However, the hospital claims that the physician acted appropriately in coming to the conclusion that asthma — from which the boy suffered — was the sole problem.

The Pennsylvania teen was weeks away from starting his sophomore year in high school when he died on Aug. 3, 2011 at his residence. The previous evening, he became ill during basketball practice, and after being taken to a hospital, he was given oxygen, medication for asthma and was then released later that night. His family’s suit claims that he was misdiagnosed by the doctor, who failed to run any tests that might have caught his heart condition.

When Maryland patients suffer serious injury or death as a result of the negligence of a health care professional, the victims or their loved ones hold the legal right to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit against the party or parties believed to have acted negligently. Successfully navigated, this type of claim may result in a monetary judgment for damages sustained by the individual or their loved ones, which can help lessen some of the costs that are typically associated with these kinds of injuries or deaths. Medical malpractice victims or their loved ones often begin the process of filing a suit by consulting an experienced personal injury attorney to assess the validity of their claim.

Source: mcall.com, “Easton Hospital in malpractice trial in death of athlete, 15“, Riley Yates, Jan. 27, 2016