Government Liable to Widow for Breach of Standard of Care in Heart Pump Malfunction Case, La. Federal Judge Rules

NEW ORLEANS — A Louisiana federal judge ruled that the U.S. Government is liable to the widow of a veteran who died after his heart pump malfunctioned because certain employees of the veteran’s hospital where the device was implanted failed to provide the couple with information regarding the device.

On April 1, Judge Eldon Fallon of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana further found that had it not been for the healthcare providers’ negligence, the plaintiff and her deceased husband would have acted differently when the device malfunctioned and his life would have been extended. The …