A California family filed a lawsuit earlier this year against health clinic Amazon One Medical after a man died following a virtual consultation.
When the man, Philip Tong, said he was short of breath, coughing up blood, and that his feet were turning blue, the online provider instructed him to purchase an inhaler, The Washington Post reported.
Tong then visited the emergency room, where he collapsed and passed away. The incident occurred in 2023. His wife and two daughters filed the lawsuit in October.
According to the lawsuit, One Medical failed to provide “adequately trained and qualified staff,” leading to “careless, reckless and negligent” treatment. At the time of Tong’s death, the lawsuit says, he was suffering from “uncontrolled diabetes, Stage 3 chronic kidney disease, infection and sepsis.”
The case will be heard in March.
Amazon One Medical spokesperson Samantha Kruse told The Post that it is “prohibited by law from discussing patient records.”
“We care deeply about every patient we serve, and the quality and safety of our care are our highest priorities,” Kruse said. “We’re proud of our extensive quality and safety measures, and of the health outcomes we help our patients achieve. We take concerns about our care extremely seriously, and we’re committed to continuous improvement.”
The Post noted that documents leaked earlier this year revealed that One Medical staff mishandled calls from senior patients experiencing life-threatening symptoms.
According to the publication, the lawsuit is the “first wrongful-death suit to be brought against One Medical, which was acquired by Amazon in February 2023.”