The Supreme Court of Missouri has just reinstated a wrongful death claim against a spine surgeon. This case of medical malpractice involved a patient that committed suicide allegedly because of the pain caused by his spinal surgery.
The patient first underwent surgery in January 2005 to correct the curvature of his spine. The patient filed a medical malpractice action in July of 2005 due to being unhappy with the results. In March of 2006, the patient committed suicide. His wife and daughter then worked by themselves to amend the medical malpractice action into a wrongful death action.
According to reports, The Supreme Court of Missouri reasoned that because the patient is now deceased, it is impossible to "provide direct evidence as to why he acted as he did, an expert witness may be used to interpret the facts and data relating to his injury and to supply the causal link from the injury to his death." However, the wrongful death action has now been reinstated and the case now awaits trial.
Wrongful death and medical malpractice cases can take years to litigate whether in Missouri, Philadelphia, or elsewhere in the US. If you suspect your loved one has been the victim of wrongful death, it is important to contact a Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyer of a Philadelphia Injury lawyer you can trust.
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