Medical Malpractice and Wrongful Death – Our Attorneys in Pittsburgh Help Families Seek Justice
When a patient passes away at the hospital, it causes great emotional pain for everyone connected with that person. In cases where such a tragedy results from a hospital error that should have been avoided, an already difficult situation is made even worse for grieving families and friends. While we understand that nothing can erase this pain, Goldberg, Persky & White can help you handle the legal issues that arise when wrongful death occurs. Our medical malpractice attorneys serving Pittsburgh, Johnstown, and other Pennsylvania communities are known for their success in securing just compensation for families.
Wrongful Death Due to Medical Malpractice
Doctors and hospital staff routinely treat people who are dangerously ill or suffering from severe injuries. Sometimes, in spite of the skill these medical professionals possess, patients are lost. Too often, however, death results from negligent or insufficient care, or because a hospital employee failed to follow accepted medical procedures during treatment. When this occurs, the deceased may have been the victim of medical negligence.
Legally, the improper or incompetent actions of any doctor, nurse, or other hospital employee may make the medical facility liable for such damages. Even in cases where a doctor is not officially an employee, the hospital may be liable under a legal doctrine known as apparent agency. If you have lost a family member through wrongful death resulting from medical malpractice, our attorneys serving Pittsburgh, Johnstown, and surrounding communities can help you sort through the complex legal issues during this difficult period.
Common Wrongful Death Cases
Drawing on extensive experience handling medical malpractice cases, attorneys at our law office can assist clients in a wide variety of wrongful death lawsuits. When clients come to us with pain and suffering caused by the death of a loved one due to medical negligence, it often involves one of the following issues:
- Birth injury
- Mistakes made during surgery
- Brain injury
- Pain medication overdose
- Falls resulting from lack of attendance to patients
- Heart attack
- Anesthesia injury
- Lack of informed consent
Birth Injuries
As with all medical care, doctors, nurses, and medical staff are responsible for following strict medical guidelines when performing or assisting with childbirth. If accepted standards of care are not met, and the death of the child or mother occurs as a result of a birth injury, the hospital or medical professional may be held liable for wrongful death.
Heart Attacks
It is crucial that doctors detect serious cardiac issues early on to protect the health of their patients. If physicians fail to correctly interpret clear symptoms of heart disease or refrain from testing patients when appropriate, they may be responsible for any death that results.
Issues Involving Anesthesia
As the variety of available anesthetics continues to grow, doctors are responsible for selecting the right type to meet each patient's unique needs. If the patient suffers a negative reaction to the anesthesia used by the doctor, the hospital may be liable for his or her injuries or death.
How Our Attorneys Can Help
Our medical malpractice attorneys have litigated wrongful death cases involving a variety of causes. We have the experience needed to offer you crucial advice during a difficult and confusing period. In order to uncover the truth about the circumstances surrounding the death, we go to great lengths investigating hospital fatalities, using investigators and medical experts whenever necessary. We then try cases expertly and aggressively, doing everything possible to obtain just compensation for our clients' losses.
Compensation for Wrongful Death
In the event the death of a loved one resulted from medical malpractice, the law permits the recovery of compensation for both economic and non-economic damages. For example, a surviving spouse, child, or dependent adult may seek non-economic damages for their emotional pain and suffering as well as economic damages, such as funds to cover medical and burial fees.
In addition to the immediate economic damages accrued, like burial costs, the deceased may have been an important breadwinner for their family. Their passing can therefore create significant financial difficulties for surviving dependents. To compensate families for their financial predicament, the law may entitle them to the deceased's projected earnings lost, based on his or her salary and normal life expectancy.
Contact Wrongful Death Attorneys Serving Johnstown and All of Pennsylvania
If you have been affected by the wrongful or preventable death of a family member, contact our medical malpractice attorneys in Pittsburgh, near Johnstown. During an emotionally difficult and legally confusing period, Goldberg, Persky & White can provide invaluable legal guidance.