Have you or any member of your family suffered from hospital neglect? According to the Journal of Patient Safety, the estimated number of cases of hospital negligence was anywhere from 210,000 to 440,000. These were patients in hospitals who suffered and died from a mistake committed by a nurse, doctor, lab technician, or intern.
Have you been told by a hospital staff that the neglect you or a loved one experienced was unintentional? Unfortunately, the issue is not about intention. The point is finding out if something happened that could have been prevented. If this is a thought that has crossed your mind, the next step should be to find out more about hospital negligence and how you could find redress for your trauma.
Hospital negligence is caused by a preventable action or decision that led to the deterioration of a patient’s condition while being treated in a hospital. It’s about patient safety. It is also about the trust families and patients put in the hospital; a trust that was irrevocably damaged.
Preventable harm is like a nurse who gives the wrong medication dose or forgets to check on a patient. It is when a lab technician sends the wrong test results or makes a mistake on something as simple as blood typing.
There are many ways for any member of a hospital to make mistakes, and although there is the aspect of “Human Error,” it cannot be used in cases where the error could have been prevented had the person paid more attention to his job.
Hospital negligence is serious because it can cause severe harm in a patient’s health and well-being.
There are multiple ways for the hospital to cause preventable harm to a patient. Some of the more common cases are:
- Treatment or medicine that should have been given but wasn’t
- Incorrect medication dosage that led to the deterioration of a patient’s condition
- Wrong diagnosis
- Malfunctioning medical equipment
- Incorrect reading of a lab test result
- Inattention to patient
- Poor documentation and maintenance of medical records
If you want to file a case of hospital negligence, the first thing you must do is find the cause of your injury or the cause of the death. You need to determine if the injury was caused by negligence of responsibilities and duties of an employee of the hospital. Negligence refers to a mistake made on something that should have been basic to your care.
Usually, the hospital is not liable for negligence on mistakes made by a doctor. There are some exceptions, such as if a doctor performs medical procedures while under the influence of alcohol or makes mistakes because of extreme fatigue. Ultimately, however, negligence is usually filed on employees of the hospital and not the hospital itself.
Next, gather all documents and files related to the incident and consult a lawyer. The more documentation you have, the stronger your case will be. Relevant documents include test results, doctor notes, medication prescriptions, and medical bills.
If you or your loved one was injured due to hospital negligence, contact our lawyers for a FREE case evaluation today. Our New York hospital negligence attorneys have secured millions in payment for malpractice victims, and we can help you receive your due compensation.