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Important News You Need to Know About Medical Malpractice, Motor Vehicle Accidents and Serious Injuries in Virginia and Washington D.C.

Fairfax Man Dies of Injuries After Car-Pedestrian Accident

A hospital may be facing a serious Virginia medical malpractice lawsuit after a patient it sent home following a car crash later died of internal injuries.
Fairfax County resident Juan Pablo Hernandez Rodriguez was walking to his home on Willow Crescent Drive when he was hit by a Honda Civic on the evening of December 23. The driver of the car was charged with failure to yield the right of way to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, since the Civic turned left on Chain Bridge Road while Rodriguez had the “walk” signal.
Rodriguez, 66, received treatment at Inova Fairfax hospital, where he remained for about seven hours. According to Fairfax Police, Rodriguez later complained of chest and back pain and saw a chiropractor, who referred him back to the hospital.
Rodriguez was reluctant to seek further treatment because he did not have insurance, but returned to the hospital. He received x-rays which showed that he had no broken bones, and he was given pain medication and crutches to take the weight off his sore joints and back before being sent home again.
Four days after the crash, Rodriguez suffered chills and back pain, and noticed blood in his urine. He was taken back to Inova Fairfax by ambulance, where he died the next day.
Virginia’s chief medical examiner later discovered that Rodriguez died due to a liver laceration that he sustained in the crash. Rodriguez is survived by his wife and eight grown children, who told reporters that they do not have enough money to pay for his funeral. Rodriguez’s family is currently pursuing legal action against the doctors that failed to catch the internal injury.
The attorneys at Shevlin Smith wish to extend our deepest condolences to the Rodriguez family.

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