What Happened
Our firm successfully resolved a wrongful death and medical malpractice case after rehabilitation hospital providers failed to recognize and treat life-threatening blood clots following surgery.
Our client's mother was admitted to a rehabilitation hospital after routine gallbladder surgery. Despite multiple risk factors for developing dangerous blood clots—including recent surgery, immobility, obesity, and advanced age—she was never properly assessed for venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk and was not provided adequate blood clot prevention measures.
Over several days, she developed worsening shortness of breath, low oxygen levels, rapid heart rate, confusion, fatigue, and respiratory distress—classic warning signs of a pulmonary embolism. The evidence showed nurses and medical providers failed to appreciate the seriousness of her deteriorating condition and failed to transfer her to an acute care hospital for emergency treatment.
She later became unresponsive and died from massive pulmonary emboli caused by untreated deep vein thrombosis. An autopsy confirmed blood clots in her lungs as the cause of death.
Practice Areas Involved
This result arose from the kind of care reviewed on these pages. If something similar happened in your family, they explain what the records are read for.