It is not always easy to tell when a death is a result of negligence or errors compared to natural causes. In medicine, there may be times when it’s not clear what condition a patient has, and no medical provider may have the right answer. In other cases, a patient’s own reaction to medications or treatments may not be typical, and those reactions could lead to an unexpected death.
Proving that a wrongful death has occurred is important for families who wish to seek compensation after losing a loved one. If your loved one died because of complications when receiving medical treatment, then it’s necessary for you to go over the specific facts about the case and to make sure that there weren’t issues that were a result of negligence or mistakes.
How can you tell if you have a medical malpractice case after a loved one’s death?
There are a few ways to tell if you have a case. To start with, your attorney may want to look over reports such as surgical reports and findings, the autopsy (if one was performed) and other details surrounding the case. If there were multiple doctors on the case, gathering information from each to determine if the standard of care required by the medical industry was met can also be helpful.
It’s also helpful to have a conversation with the provider whom you believe caused your loved one’s death. Ask what happened leading up to the death and if there were steps that could have been taken to prevent it. For example, if a medication was given that caused anaphylaxis, could the provider have known that your loved one would be allergic? Did they respond in an appropriate amount of time? Knowing the answers to these questions may help you decide if you wish to pursue a wrongful death case.
Losing someone you love is always going to be difficult, but if malpractice or mistakes led to their death, you should consider pursuing a claim. Those responsible for your loved one’s death can be held liable if you’re able to prove a link between their actions and your loved one’s death.