Wrongful Death Lawyer

When someone goes to the hospital and experiences circumstances that are more negative than positive, they may be wondering who they should report this to. Perhaps you had a nurse who did not listen to you or did not get the outcome you were looking for after treatment. The next step up from this could be medical malpractice. Instead of simply not getting the outcome you hoped for, your doctor may have acted in a way that was negligent or careless, causing more harm than ever should have come to you. In some cases, this could even mean death. If your loved one was staying at a hospital or visited a hospital for treatment and was the victim of either medical malpractice or wrongful death, do the two always go hand-in-hand? A good wrongful death lawyer, can answer this for you. 

What are the differences?

Medical malpractice does not automatically lead to death. In fact, many times, someone who is the victim of medical malpractice lives with temporary or permanent injuries or illnesses brought on by the negligence of a medical professional. In some cases, though, this negligence can lead to death. Thus, when a medical professional is careless or reckless and the patient under them is harmed, they have suffered from medical malpractice. Wrongful death happens when a patient dies as a direct result of the aforementioned negligence. 

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice can occur in a number of ways and may happen because a doctor, nurse, hospital staff member, or pharmacist was not doing their job correctly. This could include:

• Errors in surgery
• Providing incorrect prescriptions
• Birth injuries
• Misdiagnosing patients

There are many more mistakes that could be listed. When any of these errors occur and they could have been prevented had a more capable person been doing them, it can constitute medical malpractice. 

Wrongful Death

On the other hand, wrongful death can encompass medical malpractice. When any of the above mistakes (or mistake not mentioned) occur and the injuries the patient suffers from directly lead to the patient’s death, then a wrongful death has occurred. Wrongful death, unlike medical malpractice, is not just restricted to the medical field, though, and can encompass a person dying at the hands of another who was acting negligently in many different circumstances, such as car accidents or a slip and fall injury. 

What if medical malpractice leads to wrongful death?

If you have a loved one who was injured at a hospital and they later died from those injuries, you may be considering filing a wrongful death lawsuit. It is important to know that there are typically specific people who can file these kinds of lawsuits, including a spouse, parent, or child. 

If you need help filing a wrongful death lawsuit and would like to work with a compassionate and caring attorney, give one a call now to see if he or she is the right fit for your case.