Situations that could lead to a medical malpractice claim occur much more often than anyone likely wants to think about. In medical facilities throughout the nation, including the Pittsburgh area, mistakes, omissions and outright accidents due to negligence are regularly happening. Sometimes these problems are obvious. Other times however, they are not easy to uncover. Regardless of the form it takes, it is possible that the injured patient or that person's family may be able to take action in a civil court.

One family in another state did just that after their 70-year-old father and husband died at a long-term acute care hospital. At the time of his death the man was recovering from an operation for lung cancer. Despite the fact that the man was there to heal from the surgery, the staff apparently instead removed information indicating he was to be resuscitated and changed their approach to providing care that is typical of what is provided when someone is dying.

The lawsuit the man's family filed against both the hospital as well as two doctors who attended to him after his death, alleges that medical malpractice and wrongful death took place in one or more of the following ways:

• Homicide
• Manslaughter
• Administering poison with intent to kill
• Assisting a suicide
• Euthanasia

An autopsy performed after the man's death ultimately determined that he died from an overdose. At some point, the amount of drugs he was given caused him to lose consciousness and he never again woke up. Despite this finding, no criminal investigation was conducted.

Source: Idaho Statesman, "Family sues Meridian hospital over father's death," Katy Moeller, April 21, 2013