Veterans’ Wrongful Deaths Cost Department of Veterans’ Affairs Hundreds of Millions of Dollars

By Thomas Greer | April 2, 2014

More than eight million American war Veterans receive care from the Veterans’ Health Administration, which provides cares at VA hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, and other types of health care facilities. These Veterans and their families trust the VA to provide them with medical care that is comparable to or better than the care that they would receive from other doctors and hospitals who are not associated with the VA.

While wrongful deaths can occur as the result of negligence in any medical setting, there seems to be a large number of such deaths occurring at health care facilities operated by the Veterans’ Health Administration. Over the past ten years, more than a thousand wrongful death claims have been successfully pursued against the VA. These cases have resulted in the award of over two hundred million dollars to the families of the victims.

Some of the wrongful death cases occurred at VA medical facilities in Tennessee. In some cases, there was an incorrect diagnosis made or an incorrect medication prescribed. At other times, death resulted from a failure to diagnose. Veterans have been discharged from care prematurely, and without proper medication. In at least one case, a Veteran was abandoned by those who should have provided care to them.

Wrongful deaths have occurred at VA medical facilities all across America. Veterans who desperately need treatment for mental health conditions are sometimes turned away, only to commit suicide shortly thereafter. Elderly or disabled Veterans who live in VA nursing homes suffer paralyzing falls and other incidences of improper care and supervision. Other Veterans have died as a result of surgical mistakes, prescription drug overdoses, and outbreaks of infectious diseases.

While some families who have lost their beloved Veterans to medical negligence are receiving compensation for their losses, they are concerned that the individuals who were responsible for the deaths are not being held responsible for their actions. It is unclear how many wrongful death cases have resulted in discipline or dismissal of medical staff who were involved in the negligent acts, but in at least some cases, it appears as though there has been no disciplinary action taken.

The procedure for pursuing a claim for wrongful death against the VA is different than the procedure for pursuing a similar claim against an ordinary hospital or doctor. Unfortunately, the one thousand successful wrongful death claims against the VA over the past ten years represent only a small portion of the cases in which families wanted to file claims but were unable to successfully navigate the administrative process which precedes the filing of a claim. Some families who lost their loved ones in cases where the VA may have been negligent have never pursued claims, because they do not have the resources to go through months of administrative proceedings before potentially being able to file a lawsuit.

If you or someone that you love has been harmed or killed by a mistake or intentional wrongdoing of someone at a VA health care facility or elsewhere in the health care industry, get help from an attorney right away. The knowledgeable Tennessee medical malpractice attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC are here to help. We believe that the victims of negligence or wrongdoing are entitled to caring and compassionate counsel. To learn more about how we can help you, please call us at 901-680-9777 to schedule a time to discuss your case.  At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.

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