Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed against Pentax Medical and Chicago Based Hospital

By Staff Writer

The family of Renate Winkler has recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Pentax Medical, a division of Pentax America Inc., and the Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Chicago, Illinois for her death on December 13, 2013.  They claim her death was the direct result of a defective duodenoscope manufactured by Pentax and the negligence of the hospital for improper sterilization of the instrument.

Ms. Winkler died from arbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae or CRE, a bacteria that is highly resistant to antibiotics, after she had undergone a procedure called Cholangiopancreatography or ERCP at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital.  The duodenoscope that was manufactured and sold by Pentax Medical was the instrument used by the hospital to conduct the procedure.

The complaint is that the instrument is defectively designed and very difficult to clean and sterilize.  The family also alleges that 43 other patients at the hospital were infected with CRE as a result of improper sterilization of the scopes.

“No other families should have to go through what we did with the tragic death of our mother from CRE after an ERCP,” said the plaintiff and victim’s son Ronald Winkler. “No patient should have to suffer from a terrible infection as a result of a standard medical procedure like our mother did. If proper safety measures had been taken by the hospital and Pentax, the infection and her death would have been prevented. We hope to raise awareness among doctors and patients so that this does not happen again.”

No family should have to experience such heartache and loss due to the carelessness of someone else, especially a healthcare provider. If you have suffered the loss of a loved one who you believe would still be living had it not been for negligence on the part of a medical manufacturer or hospital, contact a Tennessee medical malpractice attorneys at Gilreath & Associates to schedule a free consultation.

Learn more about your legal rights when it comes to medical negligence, malpractice and other personal injuries via our blog and knowledge center.

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