Jury favors couple in malpractice suit against radiology clinic

A medical malpractice lawsuit filed by a Grand Rapids couple against Kent Radiology and one of its former radiologists has reportedly ended in a jury award of $1.25 million. The award is in compensation for the death of the couple’s baby girl back in 2009 when she was only three days old.

The cause of death was officially determined to be inconclusive, but the couple alleged that death was due to an improperly placed feeding tube which led to fluid buildup around the infant’s heart, and ultimately cardiac arrest. According to the couple’s complaint, the radiologist on staff at Kent failed to notice the improper catheter placement, which constituted negligence.

The jury that decided the case, while it did not agree that the radiologist’s failure to notice the improper catheter placement was the cause of the infant’s death, did agree with the couple that it was a contributing factor.

Medical malpractice involving an untimely death, such as this one, can be very difficult for surviving family. Grieving family members usually simply wish to have some measure of compensation for their loss, and it can be difficult when negligent health care providers fail to own up to their mistakes and take responsibility. Knowing the best way to proceed in such cases isn’t always easy, either, since there can be complex medical issues at stake requiring differences in expert opinion.

Families who have experienced loss due to medical error should work with an experienced attorney in building their case, since doing so will ensure the best possible presentation of their case and potential for recovery.

Source: Mlive.com, “Grand Rapids couple awarded $1.25 million in malpractice suit after infant daughter’s death,” Heidi Fenton, March 27, 2014.