When 37-year-old Marites Campano attended Tripler Army Medical Center in July 2013, she expected to give birth to her third child and return home shortly afterward. Instead, Campano eventually lost both kidneys, after a failure to treat her initial symptoms lead to her going into sepsis and suffering multi-organ failure. Rather than treating Campano’s low blood pressure, fast heart rate, and clammy, pale appearance on arrival, medics failed to administer IV antibiotics, as they would have been expected to do. This meant that Campano was in severe pain for 48 hours, needed a ventilator following the multi-organ failure, and lost both kidneys.
Taking into consideration the fact that she is now unable to work, and will require medical care for the rest of her life, a judge recently awarded £25 million to Campano, in what is believed to be the largest verdict of its kind in Hawaii.
What Is Medical Malpractice?
Legally, medical malpractice is defined as “professional negligence by a health care professional or provider, in which treatment provided was substandard and caused harm, injury or death to a patient. The error may have been because nothing was done (an act of omission), or a negligent act”. As the healthcare professionals who encountered Mrs. Campano failed to provide antibiotics in a timely manner, it was ruled that medical malpractice had occurred.
When you approach your physician or attend a hospital or clinic in search of medical treatment, you place your trust in those professionals to act with your best interests in mind. While complications can arise despite the best efforts of a medic, there is a significant difference between that and injury or death due to oversight or negligence. If your injuries fall into the latter category, you could be entitled to claim compensation.
Childbirth-related injuries and illness are amongst the common consequences of medical malpractice, including paralysis to either the mother or the baby. This paralysis may occur due to:
- Medical error leading to a shortage of oxygen reaching the brain during labor and delivery
- Failure to identify or treat infections in the mother’s body prior to the birth
- Inadequate or excessively forceful use of vacuum extractors and other medical equipment
- Various other factors
The only way to ascertain whether your injuries were caused by genuine factors or medical malpractice is to discuss the circumstances with a Hawaii medical malpractice attorney.
Speak to a Hawaii Medical Malpractice Attorney Today
If you believe you may have grounds to file a medical malpractice suit, you must seek legal representation immediately. While not every injury or illness contracted while under medical care occurs because of medical malpractice, you will not know if you qualify until you speak to an attorney. Of course, you will want the best representation – something our medical malpractice attorneys with over two decades of experience can provide.
To schedule your initial consultation and discuss your case with a top Hawaii medical malpractice attorney, call us today on 808-736-5035.