Medical Malpractice Classic - Ending in Death

Preface

A Wrongful Death Saga Introduction

The day started out like most days, but this particular Saturday took on a unique and special meaning to my father. My brother Johnny Lee Sr. was battling cancer and his health was deteriorating quickly.

My father recognized this fact intuitively and he engaged in a conversation that lasted almost a day.

My brother was suffering from prostate cancer, and other related illnesses we suspected was due to some form of agents used during his tour of duty in Vietnam.

I got an eerie sense that my father was making the best connection with his son that he could possibly make. In retrospect, the facial expressions on his face spoke as much about the state of their affairs than words could conjure.

The whole process during that father son chat sole purpose was to provide closure and allow my father to express his unconditional love for his son. The irony of it all was, my brother died 30 days later and my father died later that same day.

At the time of my father passing all twelve of his children were still alive. My mother the late Marie Jones Bradford passed on in the summer of 1991.

My father and my nephew Jermaine decided to make a stop at the supermarket not five miles from our home. They did not make it back because tragedy prevented that trip from happening; my nephew survived the ordeal.

They were taken from Baker to the closest hospital in another small town of Zachary. He was admitted at Lane Memorial’s “ER” (Emergency Room) because he was in shock with blood pressure (60/40) and internal bleeding from a lacerated liver.           

A place erected to save and bring health to lives suddenly became a place where my father’s life was left to waste away while waiting for the competent care he never received.

What appeared to be an opened and shut case suddenly became a declaration of war on the Bradford family. We had won at the lower court but had to prove our case once again to the court of appeals. I am happy to say that we prevailed at every level.

This is a sad story about the loss of a beloved father and the unity of siblings united to make sure that their father death was not in vain. That effort brought a successful verdict in favor of our family with an award of the maximum amount allowable under Louisiana law.

I invite you to learn from our family experience of hope, perseverance and a belief in a higher being and get an appreciation of the judicial system. A system that will work only if you make it work!