Emergency room patient dies, hospital negligence apparent cause

A hospital outside Louisiana has come out fighting against a lawsuit filed on behalf of a man who died several months after visiting the emergency room. Those filing the hospital negligence claim say the man was left unattended by staff members, which led to him falling and hitting his head. He suffered serious injuries in the fall, from which he was unable to recover.

The man arrived at the emergency room seeking treatment for an apparent shoulder injury. The hospital denies negligence, saying the patient was neurologically impaired due to alcohol at the time of his fall. The complaint states the patient was left unattended, and suffered a hematoma, hemorrhage and bone fracture after striking his head on the floor when he fell.

The defendants are accused of failing to appropriately assess the man’s impaired state, failing to properly monitor him and failing to provide the safest care and treatment possible. The plaintiff is seeking more than $50,000 in damages. In addition to court costs, damages include emotional pain and suffering and loss of society. Six counts of negligence, including wrongful death and survival action have been filed against the hospital.

Many family members of deceased medical patients in Louisiana have taken similar action in the past when hospital negligence was believed to have been a causal factor in their loved ones’ deaths. It is only right that grieving family members should be provided for after suffering the untimely deaths of loved ones that may well have been prevented where it not for substandard medical care. Such situations are often complex, however, and typically best addressed through experienced legal representation.

Source: madisonrecord.com, “Anderson Hospital denies negligence in patient’s ER fall; Says decedent was under influence of alcohol“, Ann Maher, July 11, 2016