When people go to the doctor, they have the reasonable expectation that they will be treated well and provided with the best possible care to protect and improve their health. However, in a medical malpractice case, a woman in North Carolina has alleged that a nurse and doctor failed to provide adequate care for her diabetic uncle, leading to his death. A jury has agreed with her by awarding her uncle’s estate $4 million.
There were actually two separate lawsuits filed: one against a nurse and the staffing company that hired her and one against a doctor. In the complaint, the woman alleges that a dose of insulin, prescribed by the doctor being sued, caused her uncle’s blood sugar levels to drop to dangerously low levels. According to the lawsuit, the nurse failed to notify the doctor of the issues involving the blood sugar levels or record the incident in the patient’s chart.
Additionally, the suit claims that the nurse failed to appropriately respond to the patient’s condition. He eventually slipped into a diabetic coma and was placed on life support, which he stayed on until his death. The suit alleges that the nurse’s negligent actions caused the death of her patient and that the staffing company that hired her was also responsible. The second lawsuit alleges that the doctor’s inadequate supervision of the nurse led to the medical emergency.
The death of the North Carolina man is tragic for his family and other loved ones. There are appropriate actions that someone can take if the underlying evidence suggests medical malpractice. While everyone makes mistakes in their everyday lives, doctor errors and other medical negligence can lead to the death or serious illness of a patient.
Source: The Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, “$4 million awarded in medical lawsuit,” April 30, 2013