Failure to Determine Source of Bleeding Causes Death

An Indiana jury recently awarded $1 million dollars to the husband of a woman who died after physicians failed to timely determine to the source of her bleeding.  The 55 year old woman was hospitalized in the ICU for treatment of breathing difficulties.  Upon extubation, a nurse noticed bleeding coming from her mouth.  The woman's blood pressure began dropping as a result of the ongoing bleeding, ultimately causing hypovolemic shock.  Physicians then attempted to urgently place a catheter in her jugular vein, but unfortunately, in the process, punctured her lung, causing it to collapse.  The patient subsequently was then required to be placed back on a ventilator where she developed pneumonia and died.  Plaintiff alleged that the source of the bleeding was a partial denture that cut into his wife's throat and that the physicians could have discovered this by merely checking the patient's mouth.  The partial denture was also apparent on an x-ray taken before the bleeding began, something the physician failed to appreciate. 

If you or a loved one believe you have been the victim of similar medical negligence / medical malpractice / medical error stemming from the failure to timely determine the source of bleeding which has resulted in serious complications, call the lawyers at STSW for a free consultation at 410-385-2225.  Our lawyers represent patients in and around the Baltimore and Washington D.C. areas against various hospitals and health care providers and have successfully handled many similar cases to the above-described case.