Doctors have a duty to provide their patients with thorough and adequate care. This means that they must not only avoid causing their patients physical harm but also that, in some instances, they must prevent patients from harming themselves. The duty a doctor owes to a patient with ideation of self-harm was the topic of a recent New York opinion delivered in a medical malpractice case in which the court denied the defendant’s request for dismissal. If your loved one died due to the negligence of a doctor, it is in your best interest to confer with a Rochester medical malpractice lawyer to discuss what compensation you may be owed.
History of the Case
It is alleged that the defendant treated the decedent for chronic pain. Throughout the course of his care, the defendant prescribed the decedent opioids. Two years after the defendant began treating the decedent, the decedent saw a neurologist, who described the decedent as being depressed and having suicidal ideation. Shortly after that, the decedent died in his home. The medical examiner assessed his death as accidental and caused by acute combined intoxication with gabapentin and hydromorphone.
It is reported that the plaintiff subsequently commenced a lawsuit against the defendant asserting medical malpractice and wrongful death claims. The defendant moved for summary judgment, but the court denied the motion. The defendant then appealed. Continue Reading ›