The pain was unbearable. Antonio Marrero was suffering from a severe sore throat. But this was no ordinary sore throat and Marrero was no ordinary patient. Back in 2013, he visited the emergency room at Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center to receive treatment for an abscess in his tonsils. After undergoing sedation, the 300 pound Marrero lost consciousness and died. He was 32 years old. Now three years later, Marrero’s family has been awarded $4.2 million in a wrongful death lawsuit settled from the Federal Government.
Marrero’s death sheds a further light into the consequences of medical malpractice. Because of his weight, doctors should have known there would be issues to protect his airway. With no anesthesiologist present, they opted to instead use a sedative drug. The results were disastrous. Marrero ended up overdosing on the medication and never woke up. It can be difficult to comprehend how a man could have died from a sore throat. Unfortunately, it only took poor judgement from a physician to end Marrero’s life.
There are many lessons to be learned about wrongful death lawsuits. It is not just about collecting money. No amount of cash can ever replace the life of a loved one. In many instances, these lawsuits can serve as a catalyst for constructive change to ensure similar medical mistakes never happen again. The health center announced it will begin implementing several new changes including:
- The hiring of a new emergency room director
- The hiring of a chief compliance officer
- The construction of a new medical emergency room
The Federal Government will pay the settlement to the Marrero family because the facility was a non-profit health center insured by the Federal Tort Claims Act. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is currently conducting an investigation on the case.
Medical malpractice is one of the leading contributors to wrongful death. When you visit a physician, you expect to receive the best quality of care. However, doctors are also human and make mistakes. But when a mistake costs the life of a family member or loved-one, it can be devastating–especially when the family depends on the income of the deceased to live comfortably. You are entitled to receive compensation to help recover lost income, pay for bills and to maintain a good standard of living. The first step is to seek legal advice from an experienced and knowledgeable Honolulu personal injury lawyer that can put you in the best position to succeed. When it comes to medical malpractice, the most typical cases involve the following:
Unfortunately, the case of Antonio Marrero is not uncommon. Far too many people throughout Florida receive poor medical attention. The consequences of medical malpractice do not just affect the victim, it also affects others who may be treated by the same physician or medical facility. You not only owe it to yourself to recover these damages, you are also indirectly helping to prevent future medical errors. To learn more on how a Honolulu personal injury lawyer can help, contact Jed Kurzban at the law offices of Kurzban Kurzban, Tetzeli P.A.