Sean P. McGinley Personal Injury Law Blog on Lawyers.com

West Virginia malpractice law firm helps

Wednesday, February 23, 2011 by Sean P. McGinley

Recently, a widow and her four children were awarded a $1.7 Million jury verdict in a medical malpractice case against a clinic and an internal medicine physician. The jury found the doctor and the clinic were negligent in the death of a 42 year old husband and father. According to media reports, the death was entirely preventable.

The jury awarded $1.6 Million for lost wages and $120,000 for the children’s college education. According to media reports, the jury determined that the doctor failed to properly monitor the patient for a known heart valve condition, commonly referred to as a leaky valve. The family showed the jury that the doctor should have referred the patient to a heart specialist after he experienced chest pain. The jury was shown that the doctor misdiagnosed the chest pain as a torn muscle instead of pain caused by his leaky valve. He died a year later because he did not receive a replacement valve.

Unfortunately, these kinds of cases are not unusual. Often, when medical malpractice occurs, the doctor and the hospital who failed to follow proper standards still deny responsibility. In West Virginia, when a serious injury or death occurs because of a doctor or hospital’s failure to follow standard medical rules and procedures, such as making timely referrals to a specialist, an injured patient and the family of patients who die need the help of a lawyer to bring the company to justice.

One law firm in Charleston, West Virginia understands medical malpractice and the standards doctors and hospitals must follow and has for over fifty years represented injured patients and their families in injury and death cases. DiTrapano Barrett & DiPiero, PLLC is available to help, advise and speak with injured West Virginia patients or their families. One of West Virginia’s most experienced medical malpractice law firms offers free consultations for injured patients and their families.

Posted at 08:07 AM

Topic: Personal Injury