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Wrongful Death

Denver Medical Malpractice Attorney William P. Godsman

Wrongful Death and Your Legal Options

When you seek treatment from a medical professional, you trust that your condition will be properly treated. Unfortunately, even well-trained healthcare providers are not immune to making mistakes and unfortunately, those medical mistakes can have devastating consequences. When a patient is seriously injured because a healthcare provider fails to meet the acceptable level of care, it may be considered medical malpractice or negligence. In the event a patient dies because of medical negligence, it may also be treated as a wrongful death. If you believe your family member died as a result of medical malpractice, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim against the hospital or healthcare provider to receive compensation for your losses. Medical malpractice and wrongful death claims can be complicated, so it is important to have a Colorado attorney experianced in handling wrongful death claims review your case.

Medical negligence can result in wrongful death in many different ways. An emergency room doctor’s failure to administer life-saving treatment to an automobile accident victim may result in wrongful death. A surgeon who accidentally cuts an artery during open heart surgery can cause the unnecessary death of a patient. Even a nurse administering the wrong medication to a patient can have lethal consequences. Some of the various types of medical malpractice that can lead to wrongful death include:

Failure to diagnose an injury or illness
Delayed diagnosis of an injury or illness
Medication errors
Hospital-acquired infections
Surgical malpractice
Emergency Room Malpractice
Birth injuries
Nursing errors
Anesthesia errors
Failure to monitor or follow up with medical treatment

Wrongful death claims or lawsuits can generally be filed by family members or heirs of the person who has died. Each state, including Colorado, has specific wrongful death laws which specify which family members are eligible to file a claim and the maximum time after the death occurred that a claim may be filed. A Colorado lawyer experianced in handling wrongful death claims can help explain these laws to you as well as your legal rights.

Denver Colorado Medical Negligence Attorney

It can be very difficult for a victim’s heirs to prove a wrongful death resulted from medical negligence. To do so, the victim’s family has to show that the healthcare provider owed a duty of care to the deceased person, that duty was violated, and that this violation resulted in the patient’s death. Due to the difficulty of proving a wrongful death claim, you should talk to a Colorado attorney with experience in medical malpractice lawsuits to give your case the best chance for success.

Free Consultation

If you are concerned that you have suffered an unneccessary injury or impairment due to medical negligence, contact Denver medical malpractice attorney William P. Godsman today. He can provide a free case consultation and discuss with you your legal options for recovery. Call (303) 455-6900.

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