Gov. Kathy Hochul is being urged by a distraught mother to do the right thing and sign a bill that will assist families similar to hers in getting the wrongful death compensation they are entitled to.
“I won’t ever get my son back and I don’t wish that on anyone…I hope his story can bring some awareness to what can happen,” Keri-Sue McManus stated.
The mother from Columbia County is suing the Albany Med Health System and its affiliates, claiming that after visiting the facility’s pediatric emergency room and physician’s offices a few times, her three-year-old son passed away while under their care.
“I knew something was wrong and no one listened.”
In November 2022, Keri-Sue reported that her small kid Micah was becoming sicker following his COVID-19 infection in the previous month. He was still experiencing his symptoms.
Following multiple visits to Micah’s pediatrician, Keri-Sue determined that an ER visit was necessary. Almost never did she see the same doctor twice, she added.
“The day he died I was there 17 hours. I saw several different people. They hadn’t met me before. I wasn’t in communication with someone, that I felt, was in our corner to treat and heal my son.”
Micah’s third visit to the ER resulted in his death from a pulmonary embolism.
Keri-Sue knew she would hold the hospital responsible even before Johnny passed away. She sued for medical malpractice and wrongful death in 116 pages for this reason. Joe Ciaccio of Napoli Shkolnik represents the McManus family.
This isn’t only for her, Keri-Sue added; it’s also for all the other families whose loved ones were never given an opportunity.
“If I could create a sense of accountability where they could examine what they did wrong, I would like that to not happen to anybody else.”
Keri-Sue is pushing Hochul to sign the Grieving Families Act with great vigor. This change increases the categories of damages that an individual or family may claim for, as well as who may bring wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of a loved one. This covers loss of love, sorrow, and agony.
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The law was passed by the New York legislature for the third year in a row. There was a veto of both previous versions.
Although Albany Med stated that it is the only level-one pediatric trauma center in the area, the hospital was unable to comment on litigation that were currently pending.
According to a statement, “While there are multiple factors to consider when looking at the duration of patient visits, we are doing everything we can—from every angle—to ensure everyone has access to the care they need when they need it.”
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