The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

A longtime friend of former Pennsylvania Congressman, John Murtha, alleges that Murtha’s large intestine was damaged during gallbladder surgery; the complication, according to Representative Bob Brady from Pennsylvania, led Murtha to be hospitalized. The surgery had been performed a few days earlier at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Murtha, a longtime Congressman and critic of the war in Iraq, passed away at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington. Brady said Murtha had an infection with a fever when he was admitted on January 31, 2010; he died February 8, 2010.

Approximately 30% of all gall bladder surgeries are performed laparoscopically (known as Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy), and this procedure is one of the most oft-performed surgeries in the U.S. However, as with any surgery, there are risks and complications can arise during and after surgery, leading to further injury and even death. If you have been a victim or a loved one has died due to a surgical error, you may be entitled to financial compensation.

Although no medical malpractice claim has been formally made in this case, there are thousands of these cases in the United States each year. According to surgerymalpractice.com, a staggering 225,000 people die each year due to medical errors, making medical negligence the third leading cause of death in American adults after heart disease and cancer.

If you feel you may have a valid medical malpractice claim, please contact the experienced and knowledgeable medical malpractice attorneys at The Cochran Firm today; we have offices nationwide and surely have one near you. In Pennsylvania, we have an office in Philadelphia.

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