• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Husband died

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.



quincy

Senior Member
I am sorry to hear that your husband died. How long ago was his death? Why do you think his death might have been the result of medical malpractice?
 

mjlambert

New member
I am sorry to hear that your husband died. How long ago was his death? Why do you think his death might have been the result of medical malpractice?
He died six months ago and I believe it was originally caused by his being not cared for in the first hospital that he was in . He was neglected for ten days in a locked ward where I was only able to see him for 1 hour/day. I was not allowed to talk with a doctor during the whole time he was there and on his last day there I demanded that he see a doctor because he was having a seizure when I came to visit. I was literally pushed out the door and told they would call the emergency room doctor to come to see him and that I should go home and they would call me. I finally got a call from them later that night telling me that he had been Life Flighted to another hospital 50 miles away. By the time I got to that hospital he had been admitted with seizures and was on life support. He stayed on life support for seven months before he died. The reason given for his death was Respiratory Failure and Renal Failure. I blame myself for leaving him in that first hospital in the first place!
 

Just Blue

Senior Member
He died six months ago and I believe it was originally caused by his being not cared for in the first hospital that he was in . He was neglected for ten days in a locked ward where I was only able to see him for 1 hour/day. I was not allowed to talk with a doctor during the whole time he was there and on his last day there I demanded that he see a doctor because he was having a seizure when I came to visit. I was literally pushed out the door and told they would call the emergency room doctor to come to see him and that I should go home and they would call me. I finally got a call from them later that night telling me that he had been Life Flighted to another hospital 50 miles away. By the time I got to that hospital he had been admitted with seizures and was on life support. He stayed on life support for seven months before he died. The reason given for his death was Respiratory Failure and Renal Failure. I blame myself for leaving him in that first hospital in the first place!
I'm so sorry for your loss...

Why was he in a locked ward? Was it a Psychiatric Ward?
 

quincy

Senior Member
What led to your husband’s original hospitalization?

You will need to have your husband’s medical records personally reviewed to better determine if a negligent or wrongful act by the hospital or medical staff was the proximate cause of his death.

You could see a medical malpractice attorney first (initial consultations are generally free) and/or you could have another doctor look over the records to see if the cause of death seems linked to the treatment received.

Good luck.
 

mjlambert

New member
He died six months ago and I believe it was originally caused by his being not cared for in the first hospital that he was in . He was neglected for ten days in a locked ward where I was only able to see him for 1 hour/day. I was not allowed to talk with a doctor during the whole time he was there and on his last day there I demanded that he see a doctor because he was having a seizure when I came to visit. I was literally pushed out the door and told they would call the emergency room doctor to come to see him and that I should go home and they would call me. I finally got a call from them later that night telling me that he had been Life Flighted to another hospital 50 miles away. By the time I got to that hospital he had been admitted with seizures and was on life support. He stayed on life support for seven months before he died. The reason given for his death was Respiratory Failure and Renal Failure. I blame myself for leaving him in that first hospital in the first place!
I'm so sorry for your loss...

Why was he in a locked ward? Was it a Psychiatric Ward?
Apparently it was, but I wasn't told that at the time I allowed him to be taken there. His primary doctor for the past 15 years had suggest it would be good for him to spend a couple of days in the hospital for some tests because he was becoming forgetful and having some strange delusions. He and I both trusted his doctor so he agreed to stay for a couple of days. Neither of us knew it was going to be a locked ward! We both thought that I would be able to stay with him while he was there!
What led to your husband’s original hospitalization?

You will need to have your husband’s medical records personally reviewed to better determine if a negligent or wrongful act by the hospital or medical staff was the proximate cause of his death.

You could see a medical malpractice attorney first (initial consultations are generally free) and/or you could have another doctor look over the records to see if the cause of death seems linked to the treatment received.

Good luck.
I am not seeking a law suit. I only want to know if I have to pay the bill to this first hospital which came only after his death. Between his Medicare and his Medicare supplement I thought all his bills had been paid. Then comes this bill for $1300 with no explanation.
 

quincy

Senior Member
You are generally expected to pay for all medical services not covered by insurance.

You are entitled to know what the bill is for and should not pay it until you get a satisfactory explanation.
 
E

Edgar 1776

Guest
Mam, I am so sorry for your loss and nothing that happened is your fault.

The above comment is correct, if you want to pursue this, you need to get all of your husband's medical records (definitely the visit in question and I'd get past medical records also, along with any VA records if he is a Veteran). You need to sit down with an attorney you trust to see if they will take your case. You might have to see a few Attorneys because not everyone will take your case, but most attorney's will usually refer you to someone else if they turn you down.

If you file a malpractice claim, you will have to prove that the doctor/hospital violated the applicable standard of care, and caused the death/injury of your husband. Unfortunately mam this is sometimes very hard to prove, expensive to litigate, and requires the use of expert witnesses and expensive pre-trial discovery work that cost a lot of money. Most people can't afford to pay the attorney for all this work so they agree to give the attorney part of any settlement or award (contingency fee). This is what each attorney will explain to you when you see them.

In Georgia, i also think you have to file an affidavit from a qualified medical expert along with the initial complaint to the court, which is an additional cost for an expert to review the file and write an opinion. Georgia also has a cap on non-economic damages (this is why some attorneys don't take some medical related cases) and a statute of limitations which means you only have a certain window of time in which to file suit.
I'm not saying all of this to discourage you, but to only giving you a few things to think about.
I wish you the best of luck
 

quincy

Senior Member
Edgar, mjlambert just said she is not interested in pursuing a malpractice claim. She wants to know if she is responsible for paying medical bills that have been received since her husband’s death.
 
E

Edgar 1776

Guest
I'm sorry mjlambert, i responded to your first post before i read the others.
The short answer is yes, Your husbands estate is responsible for paying all debts (including hospital bills).

However, as a practical matter, many health care providers will write off medical bills when the person dies if it appears they cannot recover the debt. At the very least you should be able to negotiate the bill down.
 

quincy

Senior Member
I'm sorry mjlambert, i responded to your first post before i read the others.
The short answer is yes, Your husbands estate is responsible for paying all debts (including hospital bills).

However, as a practical matter, many health care providers will write off medical bills when the person dies if it appears they cannot recover the debt. At the very least you should be able to negotiate the bill down.
The first step is to find out what the bill is for, this before thinking of negotiating.
 
E

Edgar 1776

Guest
that would be correct quincy, and an ordinary thing to do.
mjlambert, there should be a phone number on your statement. I would call the number and ask the hospital to give you the details of the bill. While you have them on the phone go ahead and explain to them that your husband in now deceased.
 

quincy

Senior Member
Getting a detailed accounting of the services being billed will help determine if insurance should cover or should have covered the expense. The bill may be in the husband’s name.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top