Jennifer Beglin of Louisville, Kentucky died in 2003 when greif-stricken family members made the inevitable and tragic decision to take her off of life support. She had been in a coma for about three months, induced from an overwhelming amount of blood loss in a routine rectal surgery operation.
What went on in the operating room that day has many versions. According to the Beglin family, it was a terrifying circus of errors and unpreparation, regardless of where it came from. “There were way too many mistakes for us to just let go,” according to her son, William Beglin. Doctors were calling for blood from the blood bank only one story below while trying to balance Mrs. Beglin’s condition. She had a history of blood problems, but for there were no records to be found at the hospital as to what blood she would need, and when. The hospital would later claim that the doctors should have called for blood sooner, while the doctors maintain that it was the hospital’s sheer negligence that caused the wrongful death of Jennifer Beglin.
The jury issued in Mrs. Beglin’s case on August 1, 2006 agreed with the doctors’ verdict. The hospital was held accountable for missing information and general neglect of their patient. The lawsuit issued approximately $9 million to the suffering family after their three-year court battle, which 16-year-old Kelly Beglin feels is proof that a wrong has been righted. “It’s been a long journey with a bittersweet end, and a fight they hope their mom to be proud of. She would be happy that we can now go to where we want to college and I think in the end it’s justice for her,” says Kelly. The sum was decided independently of the family by the jury, who took into account missing income such as Mrs. Beglin’s lost payroll, upcoming family medical bills, and $1.5 million in support to each of the children. The real hope for the Beglin family is that future incidents involving medical malpractice at the University Hospital in Kentucky will be avoided because of the lawsuit. Mr Beglin states, “I think some things need to change at University of Louisville Hospital…. I think they are going to after this verdict.”
If you or someone you know has been injured due to medical negligence, please feel free to contact a personal injury attorney in your area such as Robbins and Associates in Atlanta, Georgia.
