Medical Malpractice Wrongful Death Attorneys in New Mexico

Need Help Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against a Hospital or Doctor?

If you've lost a loved one due to medical negligence, you may be feeling a range of intense emotions, from anger to sorrow. You may also be wondering what your legal options are. In the wake of a tragedy, it can be difficult to think about such matters, but it's important to know that you have the right to pursue justice.

A medical malpractice wrongful death attorney can help you investigate the circumstances surrounding your loved one's death and determine whether there are grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit. If successful, such a suit can result in financial compensation for your family's losses, as well as a sense of closure and justice.

At James Wood Law, we are committed to holding the negligent parties liable for their actions. 

Although no amount of money can ever bring back your loved one, the financial compensation you and your family can recover can pay for funeral and burial expenses, medical costs prior to your loved one’s death, as well as pain and suffering. Let our wrongful death lawyers in Albuquerque help you seek justice.

Give our Albquerque wrongful death attorneys a call at (505) 906-6774 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.

Examples of Fatal Medical Errors

Almost any type of medical negligence can have fatal consequences, including:

• Anesthesia errors: Anesthesia errors can be life-threatening due to improper administration or monitoring. Common issues include incorrect dosage, which can lead to respiratory failure, and equipment malfunctions that result in inadequate anesthesia delivery. Failure to monitor a patient's vital signs during surgery can also lead to critical complications.
• Birth malpractice: Birth malpractice involves errors during childbirth that can severely impact the health of the mother or baby. This includes failing to perform a timely C-section when needed, improper use of delivery instruments like forceps, and not monitoring fetal distress effectively. Such mistakes can lead to severe injuries or death.
• Emergency room errors: Emergency room errors occur due to the high-pressure nature of ER environments and can be fatal. Delayed diagnoses of critical conditions, medication errors, and improper triage can result in severe complications or death. Rapid decision-making errors in these situations can have serious consequences.
• Hospital negligence: Hospital negligence includes systemic failures that compromise patient safety and can result in fatal outcomes. Common issues are inadequate infection control practices, insufficient staffing, and poor communication among healthcare providers. These errors can lead to severe complications or death due to lack of proper care.
• Medication errors: Medication errors involve mistakes in prescribing, dispensing, or administering drugs, which can have fatal consequences. This includes administering the wrong medication or incorrect dosage, as well as failing to check for allergies. Such errors can lead to severe adverse reactions or ineffective treatment.
• Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose: Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose can prevent timely and appropriate treatment, leading to severe or fatal outcomes. Examples include not detecting cancer early enough or misinterpreting symptoms of a heart attack. Delayed or incorrect diagnoses can result in the progression of serious conditions.
• Surgical errors: Surgical errors are mistakes made during operations that can have fatal consequences. These include performing surgery on the wrong site, leaving surgical instruments inside the patient, and technical errors during the procedure. Such mistakes can lead to severe complications or death if not promptly addressed.

No matter the circumstances, if medical malpractice played a role in your loved one’s death, our Albuquerque wrongful death attorneys at James Wood Law want to hear from you. We can explain your rights and legal options.

Compensation in a New Mexico Wrongful Death Case

When we visit a doctor or hospital, we expect them to provide effective medical care. Unfortunately, there are many instances where patients suffer further injury or illness, tragically resulting in death. When a patient dies due to medical malpractice, surviving family members may file a wrongful death lawsuit against the healthcare providers responsible.

Damages that may be awarded in a wrongful death lawsuit include:

• Medical expenses
• Funeral expenses
• Pain and suffering of the deceased
• Lost earnings
• Loss of household services
• Loss of guidance to the deceased's children
• Value of the deceased's life apart from earning capacity

Survivors of the deceased may also file a loss of consortium claim. This is a separate claim from a wrongful death action. A wrongful death claim is brought on the behalf of the deceased. A loss of consortium claim is brought by the deceased's loved ones on their own behalf.

Can I Sue For Emotional Distress?

If you have lost a loved one as a result of a medical negligence, you may be experiencing lasting emotional distress as a result. Emotional distress can impact your life, wellbeing, mental health, career and other critical elements of your life. It's important to seek the proper care to help you recover. An Albuquerque wrongful death attorney can help guide you through the process to get the compensation you need to help in your recovery.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit?

Under New Mexico law, a wrongful death claim is brought in the name of a personal representative of the deceased on behalf of statutory beneficiaries. A personal representative for the purpose of bringing a wrongful death action is not the same as a personal representative for probate matters. 

The personal representative is often a statutory beneficiary, but they don't have to be a beneficiary. A statutory beneficiary is someone who receives damages awarded in the wrongful death action according to how the statute has designated distribution.

Who Gets the Money in a Wrongful Death Lawsuit?

The beneficiaries of a wrongful death lawsuit are typically the spouse and children. If there are no spouse or children, the beneficiaries could include parents, siblings, and other relatives.

How to Prove Wrongful Death

While medical malpractice wrongful death cases are notoriously complex and expensive to litigate, they are important to ensure that healthcare providers are held accountable for their actions and that patients receive compensation for their injuries. 

If you or a loved one has been injured due to medical negligence, it is important to contact an Albuquerque wrongful death lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your legal options.

The following are the elements the plaintiff must prove to win a wrongful death lawsuit in New Mexico:

• The decedent’s (deceased person) medical provider was negligent by deviating from the proper medical standard of care.
• The decedent’s provider failed to live up to the standard of care expected under similar circumstances.
• The decedent’s death happened because of the medical provider’s sub-standard care.
• The decedent and his/her family suffered damages as a result of wrongful death.

A wrongful death claim must be filed within three years of the decedent’s date of passing.

Let our firm help you and your family through this difficult time. Contact our Albuquerque wrongful death lawyer at (505) 906-6774 today.