Pregnant Mother's Death Lawsuit Settled For $1M

Pregnant Mother's Death Lawsuit Settled For $1M

Introduction

A $1 million settlement has been approved by the city of Phoenix over a March 2016 wrongful death lawsuit involving a pregnant mother who, along with her unborn baby, died from a blood clot during a medical emergency. According to the lawsuit filed by the family, the woman went to Dignity Health’s St. Joseph's Westgate in Glendale for a cough and shortness of breath. The young mother was 17 weeks pregnant at the time of the incident and was sent back home after being diagnosed with bronchitis. The suit further states that the same night the woman fainted twice, following which 911 was notified for a medical emergency. A fire truck reached the home, and two EMTs (Emergency medical technicians) with Phoenix Fire told the family that it was a panic attack and advised them to see the primary care physician the next morning. She met her doctor in the morning and was admitted to the ICU for two weeks, where she and her unborn baby died. The family had a history of blood clots, which the attorney representing the family believes if Phoenix Fire and Dignity Health would have handled the case differently, then blood thinners could have saved her life. The family, her husband, and three kids will receive the $1 million settlement amount. Dignity Health is still fighting the lawsuit and did not provide any other information concerning privacy. A similar medical malpractice lawsuit was settled in a New Mexico hospital in 2013, where the newborn suffered multiple injuries that included hypoxic-ischemic brain damage due to careless medical authorities.