She had a fever, vomiting and shortness of breath.  But when her mom took 10-year-old Daniela Zelig to the hospital, doctors took a look and sent her home.  She was one of the last patients seen by urgent care doctors that day in March 2012 in Kaiser’s Baldwin Park Medical Center.

After the girl was given a cursory examination, cut short by the late hour when doctors finally saw Daniela, her mom was told that little Daniela had viral flu and there was no need for antibiotics.  Back home, the girl’s condition grew worse over the night.  Her mom awoke to find Daniela near death.  They rushed her to another emergency room where doctors determined the little girl had pneumonia, a treatable illness missed during her visit just a day before.

She was pronounced dead that morning.

Her parents fought Kaiser, but the most the big healthcare company was willing to settle was for $250,000- the capped limit for pain and suffering in California medical negligence cases.  Because of that cap, Daniela’s family felt as if Kaiser didn’t have to face any true consequence for the medical negligence.

Their attorney, Jin lew, said that for Kaiser, “It is just the cost of doing business.”