The death of a loved one is always an overwhelmingly painful experience. However, it can become even more difficult to deal with the loss if the death has been caused due to the wrongdoing or negligence of another person. In such situations, it is possible for the victim’s family to file a wrongful death case to recover damages from the party who was responsible for causing the death.
Read more: What Damages You can Claim in a Wrongful Death Case in NY?
A woman committed suicide in NYC by jumping off a Midtown hotel in 2018 because she wasn’t provided adequate care by a city hospital. Jiawen Liu, a young Brooklyn resident, was found dead on the Wolcott Hotel's second-story balcony after being discharged from the Bellevue Hospital just a few hours earlier.
According to NY Post, Liu had been brought to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation after showing suspicious behavior and was allegedly discharged prematurely, leading to the eventual suicide. Her family has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital. Liu died because of the city hospital staff's negligence and carelessness, the lawsuit filed in the Manhattan Supreme Court alleges.
Read more: NYC Woman Commits Suicide Due to Hospital Staff’s Negligence
When health care providers commit medical malpractice, it means they deviated from fulfilling their duty of properly treating and caring for their patients. Medical negligence could leave the patient with significant injuries or severe complications and even lead to the patient’s death. The resulting emotional and financial strain on the victims' families often results in the filing of big medical malpractice lawsuits.
Medical negligence is the third leading cause of deaths in the US, with around 250,000 patients dying from medical errors every year. New York City is among the top US cities where medical malpractice cases are rampant. NYC resolved 13,712 cases of medical malpractice in 2019 for a payout of $975.0 million. In 2018, the city paid $1.1 billion in medical negligence compensation against 14,390 lawsuits.
Recent findings have revealed a horrifying truth about the standard of healthcare in New York City hospitals. During the last five years, 468 people died in the city’s 11 public hospitals due to medical malpractice and negligence.
Read more: Findings Reveal Shocking Number of Wrongful Deaths in NYC Hospitals
Lucia Ferreira, 24, won $1 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit against a Brooklyn hospital in 2006 for her first child's death during delivery in 1997. Ferreira and her husband were excitedly awaiting the birth of their first child - a daughter. She was seven months pregnant when she went into rapid labor at home on July 1, 1997.
Unfortunately, complications arose as the baby ended up in a footling breech position, with her head stuck in the birth canal. The baby asphyxiated as she was receiving no blood or oxygen through the umbilical cord and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
Read more: How a Mother Won $1 Million in Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
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