Wrongful Death Lawyer in West Palm Beach FL, can help the family of a schizophrenic patient who died as a result of malpractice or another unjust circumstance. No amount of financial compensation can bring this person back, of course, and it won’t eliminate the emotional suffering on behalf of the family. Nevertheless, a settlement from the liable party’s insurer can pay for funeral expenses and any medical expenses that occurred due to the situation. If the deceased person had any dependents, it also can help pay for their needs and provide some compensation for the loss of a parent.
Malpractice may involve misdiagnosis and prescription of medication that is not recommended for someone with schizophrenia. If the patient commits suicide or behaves in an irrational way that leads to a fatal accident, the psychiatrist’s insurer may be liable for compensation.
There have been several incidents reported in the news over the years about people with this mental illness dying because of someone else’s actions. For example, some families have been traumatized when a schizophrenic relative was released from hospitalization even though this person should have been considered at high risk of suicide. If that suicide does occur soon after release, it is possible that this could be considered malpractice.
A schizophrenic patient who was released from hospitalization, even though he or she should have been considered a danger to others, and then tried to kill someone else, they may also have been the victim of malpractice. In some instances, this type of situation leads to the mentally ill person being killed in self-defense or by law enforcement. Some of these episodes became high-profile cases in their regions and resulted in court awards of over a million dollars.
Of course, not every case has this type of result. Nevertheless, families may still deserve some level of compensation, depending on what happened. Wrongful Death Lawyer in West Palm Beach FL, can evaluate the specifics of each incident and let the family know whether they have a good case. A firm such as Janssen, Siracusa & Keegan PLLC represents clients in wrongful death lawsuits and helps them travel through this traumatic experience.
