- January 7, 2020
- Attorney Matt Stoddard
- Wrongful Death
Families are horrified when a loved one goes into the hospital for surgery or illness but never comes out and instead dies in the hospital. Matters are made even worse if you suspect the hospital was negligent or careless and caused the death. If your family is asking itself, “Can you sue a hospital for wrongful death?” – the answer is “yes.” And a wrongful death attorney can help.
A wrongful death case is a lawsuit brought by the surviving spouse or family of a person who died as the result of negligence. A family member suing for medical malpractice can name individual doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, aides or other healthcare professionals employed by the hospital. The hospital itself can also be named as a defendant.
If you believe your loved one died in a hospital because of the hospital’s negligence, contact an Atlanta wrongful death attorney today. Our attorneys at The Stoddard Firm have decades of experience successfully representing bereaved families in their time of need. Courts can award financial compensation for medical and burial costs, loss of future earnings, pain and suffering, and loss of care and companionship. In particularly onerous cases, courts can also award punitive damages to prevent such negligence from destroying other families in the future.
To find out more about your legal options, contact the caring attorneys at The Stoddard Firm at 470-467-2200. We offer free consultations. We are compassionate toward families but can be very tough on hospitals and medical professionals when their negligence caused someone’s death.
Can You Sue a Hospital for Wrongful Death if Multiple Doctors Were Involved?
Absolutely. You don’t have to prove that a single doctor committed one egregious error, because it could have been a series of mistakes by several people at the hospital that ultimately led to the death of your loved one. You can sue a hospital for wrongful death based on many kinds of misconduct that caused the early death of a patient. When hospitals are named in lawsuits, it’s usually because there was some sort of medical malpractice. This means the medical treatment provided by one or more healthcare providers deviated from the established professional standards of care. Medical malpractice cases can arise due to the following:
- Surgical errors
- Misdiagnosis of illness or other condition
- A fall, seizure or collapse during a hospital stay
- Negligence in caring for a patient
- Mistakes in prescribing or administering medications
- A doctor who was impaired because of drinking, lack of sleep or use of drugs
- Unsanitary hospital conditions that caused secondary infections or surgery complications.
Whatever the cause of medical malpractice, it doesn’t make it any less painful for surviving family members, who are often tormented by questions about whether their loved one suffered or was frightened in their final moments.
When Suing a Hospital for Wrongful Death, What Are the Steps to Take?
First, hire a skilled and experienced wrongful death attorney. Both the medical field and the legal system are highly complicated, so you don’t want to go it alone. You want a lawyer who can sue a hospital for wrongful death with confidence and maximize your chances of a favorable outcome. The attorneys at The Stoddard Firm are an excellent choice, because they care about families and want them to receive the justice they deserve.
Next, gather all the correspondence, notes, messages and audio files of phone calls from the hospital and medical personnel that you have and give them to your attorney. These can be valuable pieces of information when proving negligence.
In addition, a skilled attorney can conduct interviews, gather evidence, research medical records, do background checks and examine previous hospital lawsuits when building a powerful case on your behalf. The Stoddard Firm also has the resources to hire expert witnesses if needed. To learn more, call us at 470-467-2200.
Why Should I File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against a Hospital?
When seeking monetary damages, you want to make sure funds are available to cover the jury award or settlement. Often, hospitals are named in wrongful death lawsuits because they have larger medical malpractice insurance policies than individual doctors do. A single doctor may not have a large enough insurance policy to cover the jury award or the settlement award you seek. Naming a hospital is a tactical decision to ensure that you receive the entirety of your court-sanctioned compensation, particularly if it is a large award.
What If I’m Not the Kind of Person Who Wants to Make a Hospital Wrongful Death Claim?
We always remind clients that insurance exists for a reason. Families don’t sue because they want revenge, but rather because they want to make sure children and spouses are taken care of in the future. It’s about caring and providing for loved ones, it’s not about wanting to hurt doctors or healthcare professionals. Remember, it’s insurance companies that pay the damages, not individual doctors or nurses.
Our attorneys work on contingency, which means that we don’t get paid until you get paid. Attorneys’ fees are paid by the defendant as part of a settlement agreement or jury award. If for some reason your claim is not successful, then you owe us nothing.
Contact a Hospital Wrongful Death Attorney Today
We know your family is hurting and it feels like the pain will never end. These are difficult times, and some days you wonder if you’ll be able to endure another day. Let us help. Wrongful death attorneys at The Stoddard Firm can lift the legal burden from your shoulders so that you can grieve and comfort each other. We have decades of experience in successfully bringing wrongful death claims against hospitals to seek financial compensation for families. Our years of training and insight will strengthen your chances of achieving a favorable outcome.
Our compassionate and caring lawyers are just a phone call away, and we can begin the legal process of seeking financial protection for your family in the future. We can answer your questions and explain your legal options. For a free initial consultation about a hospital wrongful death claim, call us at 470-467-2200. We will stand beside you every step of the way.
Attorney Matt Stoddard
Matt Stoddard is a professional, hardworking, ethical advocate. He routinely faces some of the nation’s largest companies and some of the world’s largest insurers – opponents who have virtually unlimited resources. In these circumstances, Mr. Stoddard is comfortable. Mr. Stoddard provides his strongest efforts to his clients, and he devotes the firm’s significant financial resources to presenting the strongest case possible on their behalf. Matt understands that his clients must put their trust in him. That trust creates an obligation for Matt to work tirelessly on their behalf, and Matt Stoddard does not take that obligation lightly. [ Attorney Bio ]