After Four Infectious Deaths, Health System Settles on Wrongful Death Lawsuits

People everywhere have heard tragic stories about wrongful death incidents. The fact of the matter is, health care professionals are just like any ordinary human being—they make mistakes, too. Unfortunately, when a licensed medical practitioner makes even the smallest mistake, the consequences can be fatal.

Health care system employees in St. George, Utah and nationwide do their best to ensure proper patient care. Sometimes, though, patients fail to receive the treatment, care and respect they deserve. This was precisely the case for four wrongfully deceased patients undergoing operations and surgical treatments at a health care system in the heart of The Bible Belt. 

Just earlier this summer, Greenville Health System (GHS), in Greenville, South Carolina, settled a fourth wrongful death lawsuit in connection with an outbreak of infections due to medical negligence, reports Greenville Online. Although the suits were settled recently, the deaths occurred last year, in 2014. The hospital denied any and all liability with the cases.

Hospitals in St. George and elsewhere can learn a serious lesson from this Southern health care system. In total, 15 patients were infected, while four patients died after contracting Mycobacterium abscesses at the Greenville Memorial Hospital. All four wrongful death lawsuits claimed the medical professionals involved were negligent, which ultimately lead to their deaths. 

Despite having denied any liability with the heartbreaking incidents, GHS offered varying amounts of monetary compensation to settle claims with the surviving families. The two most recent cases were settled last month, and the victims’ beneficiaries received full settlement for their claims. Court documents revealed that they were both settled for $575,000 and $600,000, respectively. 

This proves that hospitals and medical facilities in St. George and throughout the rest of the United States need to be cautious when treating patients. The 19 patients who contracted the harsh disease suffered from medical negligence, as noted in court documents. Whether the doctors and surgeons responsible made mistakes or not, they certainly paid the hefty price. 

In addition, the wrongful death lawsuits claim that the deceased patients suffered for quite some time prior to their deaths. In fact, some were fighting to stay alive for several months, but in the end they couldn’t hold on. Following surgeries and other major operations, doctors in St. George and throughout the nation need to be especially careful and monitor their patients regularly. If not, these cases prove that horrible and deadly outbreaks can occur, resulting in tragedy and expensive settlements. 

Aubrey Andersen-Bakker  is a legal writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Robert J Debry.