New Jersey Man’s Estate Awarded After Doctor Fails To Diagnose

A New Jersey man was experiencing shortness of breath and chest pains when he visited South Jersey Healthcare-Regional Medical Center. The doctor who treated the man diagnosed him with a mere virus and sent him home without a prescription. The next day, the ailing man, fearing his imminent death, quickly wrote up a will that named his best friend as the executor of his estate. The sick man soon collapsed and lost consciousness from what was later determined to be a pulmonary embolism. Sadly, he was declared deceased when he arrived at the hospital.

All of that was seven years ago. Now the man’s estate, under the care of his best friend, has been awarded over $1 million in a New Jersey medical malpractice case. According to the claims in the lawsuit, the emergency room doctor was negligent when he discharged the man and failed to diagnose and treat the pulmonary embolism, which ultimately blocked the main artery of one of the man’s lungs.

His best friend, who is the executor of the estate, filed the medical malpractice suit. The defense in the case argued that the pulmonary embolism hadn’t existed at the time of the doctor’s diagnosis. However, a New Jersey jury disagreed. The doctor’s insurance carrier will now pay $1,065,000 to the deceased man’s estate. The doctor has reportedly retained his job at the hospital.

New Jersey residents who suspect their injuries are the result of medical malpractice may want to consult with a legal professional who can help determine the grounds for filing a civil claim. Doctor negligence happens all-too-often, and to make sure that a physical injury doesn’t spiral into an overburdening financial one, New Jersey residents will likely want to consider their options for obtaining due compensation.

Source: nj.com, “Vineland man’s estate awarded $1.065 M in malpractice case,” Jason Laday, Jan. 31, 2012