Pulmonary Embolism Death Lawsuit

Case Type: Medical Malpractice, Wrongful Death
Settlement: Confidential

Facts of the Case

A 43-year-old married woman with a young son was admitted to the hospital for a pulmonary embolism that arose after a plastic surgery procedure. While in the hospital, she was started on anti-coagulant medications but had a subsequent subcutaneous bleed. The hospital physician stopped the blood thinners and her hemoglobin moved toward the normal range. An IVC filter was placed in her vena cava to prevent a clot from travelling from her legs to her heart and lungs.

The patient’s condition improved and she was discharged from the hospital. She was not resumed on blood thinners and the hospital physician instructed her to re-start her birth control pills. Birth controls are well-known to cause or contribute to the developing blood clots and pulmonary embolisms. Approximately eight days after being discharged from the hospital, she suffered a massive embolism that traveled to her lungs and caused her death while at home.

Types of Injuries and Harm Suffered

• Pulmonary embolism
• Death
• Other Types of Damages
• Conscious pain and suffering
• Loss of society and companionship to her family
• Loss of income and support
• Funeral and burial expenses

Legal Issues in the Case

• Whether the hospital and doctor were negligent for not resuming the patient on blood thinners?
• Whether the hospital and doctor were negligent for continuing the patient on birth control pills?
• What was the value of the loss of society and companionship to the family members?
• What was the loss of income and support caused by the death?

What We Did to Win the Settlement

To win the settlement, our medical malpractice attorney got the support of several highly qualified medical experts to prove that medical negligence caused the death. This included a family practice physician and a hospitalist to prove that the attending doctors in the hospital were negligent. We also hired a board-certified hematologist to testify on issues of blood clots and anti-coagulant medications.

We took the deposition of the medical examiner that performed the autopsy and he verified that a pulmonary embolism in the lungs was the cause of death. The husband of the decedent was also deposed. After the depositions, the attorneys discussed the case and reached a settlement to compensate the estate and family for the loss of society and companionship.