It is difficult to think of a more devastating scenario than when a loved one dies as the result of another party’s negligence. This is especially true when the party to blame for an untimely demise is a staff member at a Connecticut hospital. When the unthinkable happens, however, it is important for those left behind to understand their options in terms of seeking compensation, justice and perhaps some degree of closure.
Scenarios giving rise to a hospital wrongful death claim
The purpose of a wrongful death claim is to offer families of someone who dies as the result of another’s negligence a financial remedy for the permanent damage to their future fortunes resulting from the avoidable loss of their loved one.
In the context of a wrongful death lawsuit filed against a hospital, there is typically some form of medical malpractice alleged, for which the facility should be held responsible. As such, it is necessary to demonstrate that a physician or other healthcare professional treated the deceased individual in a manner inconsistent with the established standard of care, and such conduct might involve:
- Misinterpretation of test results
- Faulty administration of medications
- Surgical mistakes
- Failure to monitor patient following procedure
- Negligent supervision of support staff
- Substandard sanitation protocols
The question of whether to solely pursue a potentially negligent physician or to also add the hospital facility itself often involves an analysis of whether the doctor has sufficient insurance coverage to pay a costly claim. When that does not appear to be the case, families may opt to seek wrongful death compensation from the hospital in which the tragedy took place as well.
Critical compensation for grieving families
While no amount of financial compensation will ever make up for the untimely, unexpected and utterly avoidable loss of a family member due to a hospital error, a wrongful death lawsuit can help those who remain by providing resources meant to compensate them for the financial contributions, emotional support, marital and familial relationships that were so cruelly and abruptly taken away.
