Nobody looks forward to a hospital stay, but we expect it to be the place where we receive the care we need, get better and go home. Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of patients die in hospitals each year due to preventable harm and mistakes; many more are injured, and some never know that it was hospital mistakes and negligence which caused their harm. The lawyers at Palmer | Lopez have more than 35 years of combined experience helping injury victims get compensation for injuries caused by the negligence of others. Our lawyers have the skill and resources to investigate your harm and determine whether a hospital is liable to you for your additional medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering and other legal damages.
Hospitals are Hotbeds for Infection
Hospital-acquired infections, also known as health care-associated infections or HAIs, kill tens of thousands of people each year and sicken thousands more, who are already in a weakened or vulnerable state due to another medical condition. It is not surprising that infectious diseases may be present in hospitals since they treat people with serious infections as a matter of course, but this is all the more reason for hospitals to be vigilant to control and prevent the spread of infections to otherwise disease-free patients. Unfortunately, surgical instruments are not always properly sterilized between patients, and hospital beds and other surfaces are not properly cleaned. These conditions can not only make patients sick; they can become infected with superbugs such as C. diff. or MRSA which are highly-resistant to antibiotics and very difficult to treat. Tragically, amputation of limbs, sepsis and death can be the result when these bugs get a hold of a patient.
Procedures as simple as hand washing before inserting an IV, catheter or central line, or before changing a dressing or performing other wound care, can be enough to help prevent the spread of infection. It is up to hospitals to ensure safe and hygienic protocols are in place, and that staff are trained and properly supervised to follow these simple yet vital rules.
Hospitals are Liable for the Negligence of their Employees
Hospitals can be liable for negligent hiring, negligent supervision or negligent retention of employees who commit malpractice or otherwise harm patients through their negligence. This includes nurses, radiologists, lab techs, orderlies and other hospital employees. Whether a hospital is liable for the actions of a doctor who commits a surgical error or other malpractice can depend on complex legal and factual issues such as whether the doctor was an employee of the hospital or an outside medical group, and the extent of supervision or control the hospital has over a doctor who has been given privileges to operate or practice there.
Hospitals may be liable to patients for any of the following mistakes, among others:
- Surgical Errors
- Anesthesia Errors
- Medication Errors
- Negligent Nursing Care
- ER Malpractice
- Never Events, such as sending the wrong baby home with new parents
- Misread chart errors
- Misread x-rays and other tests
Hospital patients are often in poor health or they wouldn’t be in the hospital in the first place. They are vulnerable and totally reliant on hospital staff to look after their care. When medical mistakes lead to serious injury, hospitals can and should be held liable to the patients they have harmed. Representation by an experienced and successful medical malpractice attorney is a key component to holding hospitals accountable and making sure you get the compensation you need and deserve.
Call Palmer | Lopez after Hospital Malpractice in Tampa
In case of hospital malpractice in Tampa, call Palmer | Lopez at 813-506-5651 to build your case for full and fair compensation for the harm which has been done to you. Your consultation is free, and there is no legal fee unless and until our Tampa hospital malpractice lawyers recover for you.
