The husband served as Personal Representative of his wife’s estate and qualified as a survivor under Florida’s Wrongful Death Act. The decedent was admitted to the defendant hospital in Pinellas County with abdominal pain and a history of diverticulitis. During her hospitalization, her condition failed to meaningfully improve, as she continued to experience abdominal pain and developed worsening leukocytosis. Despite these warning signs, the hospitalist failed to timely recognize the deterioration in her condition, intravenous antibiotics were discontinued for approximately three days, and a timely surgical consultation was not obtained. By the morning of the third day, the decedent had developed tachycardia, worsening leukocytosis, nausea, vomiting, increasing abdominal pain, and hemodynamic instability. A surgical consultation was not placed until later that day, and the decedent ultimately suffered cardiac arrest and died.

The case also involved a defendant radiologist who interpreted the decedent’s abdominal CT imaging but failed to identify findings consistent with complicated diverticulitis, including a large peridiverticular abscess and microperforation. These findings went unrecognized, resulting in a lack of timely intervention as the decedent’s condition progressed to gross bowel perforation and peritonitis. The case further involved failures by the defendant hospital’s nursing staff to properly assess the decedent and communicate critical changes in her condition, including a firm, distended, and tender abdomen, absent or hypoactive bowel sounds, and significant nausea and vomiting.

The matter was successfully resolved through settlement on behalf of the decedent’s husband.