We recently acted for the family members of a man who tragically died because staff at a rural hospital failed to diagnose and treat him properly. The man had suffered a perforation of a duodenal ulcer which had caused him to develop peritonitis and go into septic shock. The medical expert who we engaged in this case considered that the man had all the classic signs of septic shock including high inflammatory markers, hypotension, renal failure, anaemia and elevated lactate. The expert said that the man should have urgently been administered antibiotics and resuscitated and doctors should have been able to quickly find and repair the perforated ulcer.
However, the hospital staff failed to provide the man with the appropriate treatment causing him to go into cardiac arrest and ultimately pass away two days later.
The man’s family members brought a claim against the hospital for the psychiatric injury they had suffered as a result of their father’s sudden and tragic death.
Our medical negligence lawyers successfully settled the family members’ claims at mediation.
While the outcome was pleasing in this case, we are saddened by the frequency of catastrophic errors made at rural hospitals. If you or someone you know has suffered an injury or has been traumatised because a loved one has suffered an injury as a result of a wrongdoing at a rural hospital, we would be pleased to speak with you about how we may be able to help. Please contact our friendly team on 1300 808 933 to make an appointment or book online.
