Feb 15, 2010 | 2 min read

The Death of John Murtha: Preventable Medical Errors in A Broken System

In the unexpected death of Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) there may lie the seeds of a wrongful death lawsuit, as well as pointed questions about the safety of our health care system. Over 100,000 people die every year in hospitals around the country as a result of preventable medical errors. Was Rep. Murtha that latest example of this extraordinary statistic?

Murtha had elective laparoscopic gallbladder surgery and later succumbed to an infection related to the operation. He evidently spent time in intensive care, as the infection was widespread and vital organs were in distress. Mortality rates for gallbladder surgery are 0.7% to 2%. What happened here? Was Murtha just "unlucky" or did he die from medical error or omission? For example, were IV antibiotics given when the surgeon started the incision? Once more facts come to light, his family should be in a better position to decide whether to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit.

Given the nature of this situation, a possible wrongful death involving medical error or medical malpractice, it may be a long time before the case goes to court and/or culminates in a settlement or award. Victims in situations similar to Mr. Murtha’s family will be interested to know that litigation funding may be available to help them cope with paying important bills. No one has limitless financial strength; injury victims and/or surviving family members may qualify for a lawsuit cash advance against their case while they wait for it to be settled.

Lawsuit funding should be used sparingly and wisely; it should be used to pay for life’s necessities such as food, medical bills, mortgage payments and other important daily expenses that become difficult due to serious injury, disability or death. Medical Malpractice lawsuit funding assistance allows a victims and his/her family to wait for a fair settlement, without the financial pressure to settle too early for too little.

Mark M. Bello

Experienced attorney, lawsuit funding expert, certified civil mediator, and award-winning author of the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series. The series features super-trial lawyer Zachary Blake handling "ripped from the headlines" legal and political issues of the day. The series currently consists of Betrayal of Faith, Betrayal of Justice, Betrayal in Blue, Betrayal in Black, and Betrayal High, with a sixth Zachary Blake novel due out later this year. To learn more about these topical social justice legal thrillers. please visit markmbello.com. Mark is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, a sustaining member of the Michigan Association for Justice, and a member of the American Association for Justice.