When a Massachusetts woman receives prenatal care, she can reasonably expect that her obstetrician or midwife is aware of the dangers of high blood pressure in pregnancy. This is one of many adverse health conditions that can place mothers and their unborn babies at great risk. A man in another state suffered the tragic loss of his fiance and infant son, and he says medical malpractice is to blame.
The man and his fiance’s mother have filed a lawsuit against two gynecologists and the hospital where their loved one was receiving prenatal care. At age 23, the expectant mother had a promising future ahead of her after recently earning a master’s degree in psychology. In her eighth month of pregnancy, the young mother went to the hospital in question, seeking treatment for swelling and high blood pressure.
The gynecologist who examined the woman at the time stated she likely had consumed too much sodium in her diet. He told her to take a specific medication to help lower her blood pressure. The woman was examined a second time by her regular obstetrician, who simply sent her home and told her to keep taking the medication because her blood pressure was still high. Sadly, not long after that second visit, the woman had a seizure in her sleep and died.
The woman’s child was delivered before her death but also died some time later. Her mother and fiance are suing the hospital and both doctors, claiming that the deaths of their two loved ones were easily preventable were it not for their negligence. When filing a medical malpractice case in Massachusetts or elsewhere, a plaintiff must prove to the court that the defendant was negligent and that said negligence directly caused damages. Because such litigation is often stressful and challenging, most plaintiffs ask experienced personal injury attorney to advocate on their behalf in court.
