Family sues hospital for medical malpractice after mother’s death

Some Maryland residents may have heard about a man and his girlfriend’s family who recently filed a civil suit against an out-of-state hospital after the woman mysteriously died shortly after childbirth. The individuals allege medical malpractice occurred in that the hospital, and in addition, they claim that the more than half a dozen doctors who treated the woman performed their duties negligently, resulting in the woman’s death. The woman was 34 years old and from Hong Kong.

The woman had gone into labor prematurely and gave birth at home. Emergency responders arrived shortly thereafter and loaded her into an ambulance. However, 12 hours later on a day in early August of this year, she was pronounced dead, having bled to death after undergoing several surgical procedures.

Despite overall improvements in health care, maternal mortality rates have risen recently. In New York City alone, there were 38 deaths related to pregnancy due to hemorrhaging during the four years between 2006 and 2010, according to recent data. Over 630,000 live births occurred during those years, records of the New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene show.

Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional fails to meet the established standards of care in his or her area of medicine. A case is considered valid when it meets two separate requirements — the negligence or malpractice was perpetrated by a nurse, doctor, hospital or similar health care provider and the act directly resulted in the injury, disability, pain and suffering, or death of the victim. An experienced Maryland personal injury attorney is typically consulted to assess the validity of such a claim.

Source: The New York Times, “A Woman Dies After Childbirth, and Her Husband Asks Why“, Samantha Schmidt, Sept. 28, 2016