$3M Settlement By LA Hospital Over Woman Who Died Untreated in ER
A $3 million settlement proposal has been accepted by the children of a Los Angeles woman who died untreated in a hospital emergency room in 2007 as she writhed in pain on the floor and family members unsuccessfully sought help by calling 911.
One factor that may have promoted the pact was an internal report inadvertently made public by Los Angeles County lawyers. It advised Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Medical Center to settle, saying that 43-year-old Edith Rodriguez could have survived if she had been treated for her perforated bowel, reports the L.A. Now blog of the Los Angeles Times. The hospital confirmed the settlement but not the amount, which was provided by a lawyer for the children.
It isn’t clear whether Rodriguez’ boyfriend, who made one of the 911 calls, has accepted an additional $250,000 offered last year by the hospital, according to the newspaper.
“This settlement is reasonable and fair, especially in this economy,” attorney Frank Casco, who represents Rodriguez’ three adult children, tells the newspaper.
The family had alleged civil rights violations and medical malpractice in a lawsuit against the hospital.
