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Medical malpractice suit alleges cardiologist caused man’s death

On Behalf of | Jan 24, 2018 | Doctor Errors

Losing a loved one is hard enough. Even more upsetting, though, is knowing the loss might have been prevented were it not for the negligence or error of another. Perhaps worst of all is when this other individual was a trusted professional, such as a doctor, as in a recently filed medical malpractice lawsuit.

While it did not occur in Massachusetts, the alleged medical negligence that occurred may give adult children everywhere pause when their aging parents seek specialized health care. According to the lawsuit filed by the daughter and son of the now-deceased patient, an improperly installed internal defibrillator – and the doctors’ delay in addressing the problem – led to the death of the victim. The complaint names the cardiologist and the clinics and hospitals at which he is employed as defendants in the lawsuit.

According to reports, the cardiologist replaced the patient’s internal defibrillator in 2015. Two days later, however, the patient began hearing an alert from the device, and an examination determined that one of the leads was improperly secured. Shortly thereafter, the device began randomly shocking the patient. Surgery was scheduled but then repeatedly postponed due to various issues, including hospital staff’s failure to follow medical instruction.

Tragically, the morning for which the surgery had been rescheduled, the patient suffered an episode of rapid heart rate caused by abnormal electrical signals – known as ventricular tachycardia – and the defibrillator failed to shock him properly, though it continued to painfully shock him at other times. His health problems continued to worsen, and the patient died a few days later. The lawsuit alleges that the cardiologist’s failure to treat the patient in a timely manner directly led to his death. Tragically, failure to diagnose and treat illnesses is not an uncommon problem, regardless of location, though the whole situation likely could have been avoided had the device been properly installed in the first place. Anyone in Massachusetts who has similarly lost a loved one due to doctor or nursing error may benefit from exploring options for a wrongful death lawsuit with an experienced medical malpractice attorney.

Source: thetimesnews.com, “Doctor, ARMC sued in patient death“, Isaac Groves, Jan. 10, 2018