A jury has awarded the family of Thomas Miller $4.6 million for his Los Angeles County wrongful death. Miller, a nonprofit director of the Community Foundation of the Verdugos, died of a heart attack in 2006.
According to the jurors, Dr. Collin Cooper was negligent in his diagnosis and treatment of Miller, who had called him to report severe chest pains. Rather than have Miller immediately undergo a cardiac enzyme test, the plaintiffs contend that Cooper told him to come in a few days later. During that visit, the doctor ordered a treadmill stress test and administered an electrocardiogram exam. An hour after taking the stress test, Miller died.
Per the coroner's report, Miller's cause of death was a heart attack, which was why he was having chest pains. The family's Los Angeles medical malpractice lawyer says that the electrocardiogram missed it.
Miller leaves behind his wife, KPCC radio anchor Susanne Whatley-Miller, and their two daughters. Because of a $250,000 insurance cap on medical malpractice litigation, the family will get about $1 million.
Heart Attacks
Contrary to what we often see on TV or in movies, not all heart attacks are sudden and severe. Many incidents of heart attack start off slowly, with mild symptoms of discomfort and pain. Because people don't realize what is happening they may wait too long to get help.
Some possible symptoms of a heart attack:
• Chest pain
• Arm pain
• Jaw pain
• Shoulder pain
• Sweating
• Breathing problems
Unfortunately, even when people do call for medical help, doctors, EMTs, and others can wrongly diagnose your symptoms, calling it indigestion instead of a heart attack, or delay their diagnosis, which can prevent the patient from immediately getting the necessary medical care that he/she needs. Wrong diagnosis, delayed diagnosis, and failure diagnose can be grounds for a Los Angeles medical malpractice case if serious health complications or death result.
Family of nonprofit director awarded $1 million, Glendale News-Press, April 7, 2011
Related Web Resources:
Heart Attack Symptoms and Warning Signs, American Heart Association
More Blog Posts:
Los Angeles County Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Claims Lap-Band Surgery Caused Wife's Wrongful Death, California Injury Lawyers Blog, March 9, 2011
Los Angeles Surgical Error: Wrong Kidney Given to Patient During Transplant Surgery at USC, California Injury Lawyers Blog, February 18, 2011
Anaheim Hills Medical Malpractice?: Cypress Plastic Surgeon on Probation After Patient Dies, California Injury Lawyers Blog, February 15, 2011
