San Francisco news reports that the family of a patient who died at San Francisco General Hospital plans to file a medical malpractice and negligence lawsuit against the city.
Generally, medical malpractice refers to the failure of doctors, nurses, or other health care professionals to act with the requisite "standard of care." When this failure leads to harm, the responsible health care provider may be held liable and required to pay damages. Where a patient dies as the result of negligent medical care, the family may be able to bring a wrongful death lawsuit. A standard negligence case is similar but only requires that the injured party show that the responsible party breached its duty to act reasonably and this breach resulted in harm.
If you have questions concerning medical malpractice or negligence or believe that you have suffered harm as the result of another's conduct, consulting with an experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyer is important to determine the best course of action in your matter.
In this instance, reports indicate that the woman wandered from her room at the hospital and later was found dead in a stairwell. The woman had been reported missing, but hospital staff allegedly failed to search the stairway, despite a researcher noting that he had seen a body. The lawsuit asserts that her body was not found until two weeks later.
For more information or if you believe that you or a loved one has been harmed by negligence, please contact the top San Francisco negligence lawyers at Bostwick & Peterson, LLP for an immediate consultation.