Widow Awarded $1 Million Medical Malpractice Settlement
A $1 million medical malpractice settlement put an end to litigation over the wrongful death of 56-year-old Richard March. The family filed suit based on allegations of doctor negligence, after the decedent suffered a fatal blood clot just weeks after having hip replacement surgery at Harrisburg Hospital. The settlement was approved by a Dauphin county judge, but the terms of the agreement are being held confidential.
Richard’s spouse, Charlotte March, contends that her husband’s death from a blood clot is the result of a misdiagnosis on the part of Dr. Stuart B. Pink – a cardiologist who was one of several who treated the decedent when he complained of weakness and shortness of breath following his hip surgery. Dr. Stuart Pink has denied any liability and defended his original diagnosis. He argued that based on the data available to him at the time, criticism of his treatment of March “was based on an unfair retrospective analysis of the events years after the treatment was rendered.”
Settlement ends malpractice claim
Attorneys for March’s family claimed that he didn’t receive appropriate treatment due to the misdiagnosis, and the decedent’s premature death was caused by this grave medical mistake. While the details of the agreement are to remain confidential, documents show that half of the settlement will be paid by the Central Pennsylvania Physicians Risk Retention Group; the remaining half will be covered by the state Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error Fund.
Judge Todd A. Hoover sanctioned the settlement nearly three years after Charlotte March filed the claim against Pinnacle Health System, Harrisburg Hospital and several physicians. Charges against the hospital and Pinnacle Health System are to be thrown out, and court documents bar the plaintiffs and defendants from discussing the medical malpractice settlement.
Grounds for medical malpractice lawsuits
All medical professionals, including doctors, surgeons, nurses and other health care providers, have a legal duty to provide a certain standard of care to patients. Unfortunately, as in the case of Richard March, when this duty is breached, the consequences can be life-threatening or even fatal.
In New York, a medical malpractice settlement or jury verdict may result from litigation over the following types of medical mistakes:
- Misdiagnosis of cancer
- Misdiagnosis of infectious diseases
- Misdiagnosis of heart attack or stroke
- Failure to diagnose
- Delayed treatment
- Medication and dosage errors
- Emergency room misdiagnosis
- Other acts of doctor negligence
Speak with a New York wrongful death lawyer
If you have lost a loved one as a result of a hospital’s failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis, you are encouraged to contact attorneys at The Sanders Firm, who can assist you in pursuing damages against the liable parties. While a medical malpractice settlement or court award can’t erase the tragic loss of a family member, it can help ease financial hardships and offer a sense of closure. To schedule a free and confidential case evaluation, please contact our law offices today at 1.800 FAIR PLAY (800.324.7752).
Our skilled lawyers represent clients in the greater New York area including Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and Long Island. Resources
- Penn Live, $1M settlement to end malpractice lawsuit over West Shore man\’s death, http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/07/1m_settlement_to_end_malpracti.html
