A Florida couple was awarded $12 million for the pain and suffering they endured after their infant son died due to medical malpractice at Tampa General Hospital. It’s a tragic case that could have been avoided.

A tragic case

According to an article in the Tampa Tribune, a Florida couple’s prematurely born son was being treated at Tampa General Hospital after contracting a serious intestinal infection known as necrotizing enterocolitis, or NEC, and died. The couple sued the hospital and the doctors who attended to their son. The lawsuit alleged that the hospital was financially motivated to keep the baby in its facility instead of transferring him to a hospital in which a pediatric doctor could evaluate him. A jury awarded them $12 million for their pain and suffering. Sadly, similar lawsuits have been filed against the hospital for not providing the proper care to seriously ill newborns.

Medical malpractice & children

Medical malpractice cases such as this one are difficult to hear about – and even more difficult, if not impossible, for the parents, families and friends of the child to deal with. Medical facilities and the medical staff they employ are held to standards of care that, if breached, can make them responsible for their actions – or inactions. In this case, the family alleged that the hospital was financially motivated to keep the child at its facility – a situation that is simply unacceptable, yet likely common.

How an attorney can help

An experienced medical malpractice attorney can help by doing what is necessary to make sure that your family is compensated for your injuries. Although compensation certainly isn’t an adequate substitute for the loss of a child, it sends a message to the medical industry that they simply must be held responsible for their actions and may be incentive for them to change the ways in which they operate. If your family has suffered a tragic loss due to medical malpractice, contact a medical malpractice attorney to discuss your situation. Consultations are strictly confidential, without obligation and don’t cost anything.