Family of Neil Armstrong Awarded in Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
September 27, 2019
Famed astronaut, Neil Armstrong, is best known for being the first person to walk on the moon. Recently, Armstrong’s family received media attention after settling a medical malpractice case against a hospital in a wrongful death lawsuit. According to Armstrong’s family, the 82-year-old former astronaut, Korean War veteran, and Congressional Space Medal of Honor recipient developed coronary disease and needed bypass surgery. Two weeks after the surgery, he died from complications from the surgery. Family members believe that his death could have been prevented had he received competent post-surgical care at the hospital.
Unfortunately, medical negligence is all too common in this country. In fact, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, it is the third most common cause of death in the United States and is responsible for billions of dollars in medical malpractice lawsuits. Armstrong’s death has brought renewed attention to the prevalence of medical negligence.
Details of Armstrong’s Case
After Armstrong’s bypass surgery, nurses removed wires from a temporary pacemaker. Shortly after, he began bleeding into the membrane surrounding his heart, which is ultimately what caused his death. Medical experts say that the health care professionals responsible for Armstrong’s care should have rushed him back to the operating room so they could control the bleeding and monitor his condition. By delaying the decision to return him to the operating room, Armstrong’s condition worsened, and doctors were unable to revive him once he was returned to the operating room. Armstrong’s family accused the hospital of negligence.
Hospital officials deny that the health care professionals who treated Armstrong were negligent in any way, or that their failure to act was what caused Armstrong’s death. However, to avoid a trial, they agreed to settle the case out of court. Armstrong’s family was awarded $6 million, which was split between family members. The failure to treat a patient in a timely manner is one example of negligence that can lead to a wrongful death lawsuit. The following are additional examples of medical mistakes that can contribute to a wrongful death:
- Misdiagnosis or a failure to diagnose
- Anesthesia error, including a failure to review the patient’s history
- Surgical errors caused by a failure to follow pre-surgery checklists
- Infections caused by instruments that have not been properly sanitized
- Organ puncture, including bowel perforation, which can cause bacteria to leak into the body
Baltimore Medical Malpractice Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Advocate for Victims of Medical Negligence
If you or someone you love has been injured, or you lost a loved one due to a medical mistake involving negligence, you are urged to contact the Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton as soon as possible. Our compassionate and experienced legal team understands how devastating this can be, and we will ensure that the negligent party is held accountable for their actions. To schedule a free consultation, call us today at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.
Our offices are located in Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie, and Towson, allowing us to represent medical malpractice victims in Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Western Counties, Prince George’s County, Queen Anne’s County, Southern Maryland, and the Eastern Shore, as well as the communities of Catonsville, Essex, Halethorpe, Middle River, Rosedale, Gwynn Oak, Brooklandville, Dundalk, Pikesville, Nottingham, Windsor Mill, Lutherville, Timonium, Sparrows Point, Ridgewood, and Elkridge.
