Our client was a 46 year man from West Deer. He suffered from hypertension, was slightly overweight, was a smoker and had a positive family history of heart disease. In the two years before his death, he was under the care of a primary care physician. Despite multiple visits to his PCP, not once did his PCP take a proper family history. Despite having multiple, significant risk factors for coronary artery disease, not once did the physician evaluate or test for coronary heart disease. No cholesterol/lipid testing or EKG was ever performed. Days after his last visit, our client suffered a massive myocardial infarction (heart attack) and died. An autopsy revealed extensive atherosclerosis of his heart vessels.
Our client was survived by his wife and two children. We brought a wrongful death civil action in Allegheny County on their behalf. The wife, financially dependent on her husband's income, had to sell the family home. A settlement was reached with the insurance company of the physician. From the settlement, our client's wife was able to purchase a new residence.
