Way back in 1998, Anna Gloria Rivera was ten years old and had her entire life ahead of her. Medical malpractice attorneys believe things turned tragic when she was rushed to Woodhull Hospital, in Brooklyn, New York following a severe asthma attack. Prior to asking the young girl’s mother for a medical history or providing a muscle relaxant, sedative, or any sort of pain medication, the treating doctor hooked the girl up to a respirator. The doctor elected to set the ventilator machine at 40 breaths per minute, a clear case of medical malpractice since the protocol for a child of Anna Gloria’s age is around 8 to 10 breaths.
Death Follows Medical Professionals Malpractice
The young girl’s medical malpractice attorneys said “she died about three hours later after her lungs were ‘blown out’ with all the oxygen“. In 2007, following a six week trial, a jury elected to award the Rivera family $3.5 million for pain and suffering and $500,000 for a wrongful death finding. Unfortunately, medical malpractice attorneys had to continue to litigate the issue following an appeal by the city. This prolonged the agony of the family and put off closure for nearly four more years. Finally, in 2011, the plaintiffs once again prevailed and the city was charged thousands in legal fees in addition to $478,000 in interest because of the delayed payment of the damage award. Medical malpractice attorneys believe that because this lawsuit came against a public hospital, the city’s taxpayers will be forced to incur much of the bill after the litigation raged on for so many years.
Medical Malpractice Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If you or a family member have recently been the victim of medical negligence, it is possible that you would like to speak with our medical malpractice attorneys. Please contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.