Medical Malpractice Lawyers in New York

Edith Rodriguez, 43, died of a perforated bowel after laying bleeding on the emergency room floor of an inner-city hospital on May 9, 2007. Relatives claim Rodriguez was bleeding from the mouth and writhing in pain on the floor for 45 minutes while she was in a waiting area in the emergency room at Martin Luther King, Jr.-Harbor Hospital in Los Angeles.

Rodriguez's boyfriend, Jose Prado, called 911 from the ER waiting area and pleaded for help, but he was referred to hospital staff instead. The dispatcher allegedly told Prado to contact a doctor and said paramedics could not help her because she was already in a hospital.

A second call was placed 8 minutes later by a bystander who requested that an ambulance be sent for Rodriguez to her to a different hospital. The bystander told the dispatcher, "She's definitely sick and there's a guy that's ignoring her." During this call, the dispatcher and caller argued over whether there really was an emergency or not. The dispatcher allegedly retorted, "I cannot do anything for you for the quality of the hospital. It is not an emergency. It is not an emergency ma'am."

Relatives reported that Rodriguez died as the officers who finally showed up to help her were wheeling her out of the hospital after arresting the woman for a parole violation.

The director of the county Department of Health Services, Dr. Bruce Chernof, called Rodriguez's death "inexcusable.

If you or a loved one has suffered or died due to the fault or negligence of a medical facility or healthcare professional in New York, please contact the Medical Malpractice Law Offices of Silberstein Awad & Miklos.