How To Proactively Cope With a Loss Due to Medical Negligence

More than 250,000 people in the United States die due to medical errors each year, according to one Johns Hopkins study. With medical error now known to be the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer, there’s no doubt that it’s prevalence is alarming. However, behind each loss due to medical error is a grieving family. From dealing with your mental health and effectively processing the loss to how to go about handling the paperwork that may be involved, here’s what you need to know.

Managing the paperwork involved

As with any loss, the paperwork involved could require anything from managing an estate left behind to ensuring that your loved one’s will is taken care of in addition to handling the funeral arrangements. However, when it comes to wrongful death due to medical negligence, managing the legal aspects that may be involved — such as a wrongful death settlement distribution, could get complicated and necessitate the help of a lawyer. This is primarily due to the fact that there may be more than one living family member who is entitled to a wrongful death settlement, and trying to determine how it’s divided may get difficult depending on how many individuals are involved, and will depend on the relationship of the family members to the victim.

Navigating grief

After a loss due to medical negligence, it’s important to ensure that your (and your family member’s) mental health is well taken care of, especially since a loss in such a manner can be especially difficult to process, and may involve feelings such as anger. While taking legal action can help greatly in ensuring that justice is served and that those who are liable are held accountable for their actions, it’s important to remember that grieving takes time, and that it’s a unique process for everyone. Because of this, attending individual or family grief counseling is just one way to productively work through grief, as it will allow you to gain tools that will help navigate the grieving process.

Handling a loss due to medical negligence can be a difficult process, and the paperwork involved certainly doesn’t make things any easier. However, by getting the help of a reputable wrongful death attorney and ensuring that your mental health is properly taken care of can make things a bit more manageable.