Settlement Reached in Wrongful Death Case
Tony Laizure recently settled a wrongful death medical negligence case against a Pawnee County physician and hospital.
The case involved the failure of the emergency room physician and nurses to recognize that the patient may have been suffering from a bleed in the brain, a medical condition known as a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Despite the fact the patient presented with all of the classical signs of a subarachnoid hemorrhage, the emergency room physician felt as though the patient was suffering from a reaction to a prescription medication. The patient was sent home, where 2 hours later he experienced a major bleed, and died shortly thereafter.
The patient was survived by his wife and three sons, who filed a lawsuit against the physician and hospital in Pawnee County District Court. The case was set for trial in November 2006, but settled. The terms of the settlement are confidential.
A subarachnoid hemorrhage is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention. Usually, the patient complains of one of the worst, if not the worst, headache the patient has ever experienced. Sometimes, the headache is accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light, dizziness or seizure-like symptoms, although it is not necessary for these symptoms to be present.
If you or a loved one ever experiences these symptoms, you should proceed immediately to the emergency room. Be sure to tell the doctor you are having the worst headache ever, or that this headache is much worse than previous headaches. Once the doctor suspects a subarachnoid hemorrhage, the treatment of choice is a CT scan. This will help the doctor to see if there is indeed a bleed in the brain. The other treatment is a spinal tap or lumbar puncture, done to see if there is any blood in the spinal canal.
If you have any questions about this most important medical condition, call your physician. If you have any legal questions about this or other medical issues, call our toll free number at 1-800-798-2613 and ask for Tony Laizure.
