Doctors at Swedish Sued in Wrongful Death Case
The family of a man who died after an operation at Swedish hospital in Seattle earlier this month is suing the doctors for wrongful death.
According to the family of Robert Shearer, who underwent surgery to remove a noncancerous mass on March 5, Shearer died from peritonitis that was improperly diagnosed after the surgery. Shearer, according to the family, complained of thirst and pain for three days after the surgery but then died an “agonizing” death.
“All patients who undergo invasive abdominal surgery are at risk for infection. The fact that Robert’s doctors failed to diagnose and treat the basic signs of a horrendous onset of peritonitis is astonishing,” said attorney Sim Osborn, who is representing the family in the suit, in a statement.
Swedish officials said although the doctors have credentials to practice at Swedish, they are not employed by the medical center. Citing that it’s “so early in the legal process,” Swedish spokesman Ed Boyle said that was the only comment the medical center would make at this time.