Husband’s Death Spurs Widow’s $10M Suit Against Oregon Hospital, Doctors

The widow of a Eugene, Ore., man who died five days before his 29th birthday seeks $10 million in a lawsuit against a hospital, doctors and physicians’ groups.

The suit says Aaron Martineau died in September 2014, a day after he was incorrectly diagnosed with non-cardiac chest pain and released from McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in Springfield.

The suit says his death resulted from aortic dissection, a condition in which there is a tear in the wall of the main artery carrying blood from the heart.

A McKenzie-Willamette spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment. Officials with the physicians’ groups told The Register-Guard newspaper they are not authorized to comment.

The suit says Martineau was suffering from chest pain, shortness of breath and a slow heart rate, and the tests performed were insufficient to rule out or confirm serious conditions consistent with his symptoms.