PROTECTING THE LEGAL INTERESTS OF INJURED HAWAII RESIDENTS AND VISITORS SINCE 1973

Grieving family claims medical negligence caused girl’s death

On Behalf of | Jan 20, 2017 | Medical Malpractice |

Many parents in Hawaii can relate to having loved ones who suffer from various types of headaches. Often, a severe headache prompts a visit to an urgent care facility or emergency room. For one young girl, it meant repeated visits over an extended period of time. Sadly, not only did those visits not lead to solutions for her problem, her family says medical negligence caused her unexpected, untimely death.

The 13-year-old child had complained about her head hurting so much that her mother thought it warranted a trip to the hospital. Strangely, even though the patient was apparently presenting symptoms commonly associated with pediatric brain tumors, no CT scan was ordered. The test was performed much later, after the child had actually stopped breathing and become unresponsive two times.

The family later learned that the suffering girl had a brain tumor that had grown so much, the fluid caused substantial pressure that essentially destroyed her neurological function. She was pronounced brain dead several days later. The young girl’s family was understandably devastated by their loss when, after removing her from life support, she died.

The attorney representing the girl’s family in a wrongful death claim stated medical negligence caused her death. The family believes the child’s death would likely have been prevented had medical professionals ordered the appropriate tests to rule out the most dangerous possibilities coinciding with her symptoms. Any parent in Hawaii who has suffered similar loss due to doctor error or other substandard care may seek justice on behalf of his or her child by filing a malpractice claim in a civil court.

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