You likely think of the hospital as a place to get well, not as a place where you might suffer needlessly because of medical errors. But a recent study by the Department of Health and Human Resources found that medical errors are very common and, worse, not always properly reported to hospital administration.
The report, released in January of 2012, revealed that the majority of hospital errors go unreported to hospital administrations. Hospital administrations usually request reports of errors by medical staff in order to tweak policies and procedures in hopes of preventing further patient harm or death. Since so many errors are going unreported, however, patients are suffering from repetitive mistakes. The Department of Health estimates that 130,000 Medicare patients a month suffer from adverse hospital events.
Some common unreported hospital errors cited include:
· Serious Bedsores
· Improper use of blood thinners causing excessive bleeding
· Delirium caused by the overuse of painkillers
· Medication Errors
· Infections caught in the hospital, such as MRSA
All of these errors are harmful to patients, but some errors, such MRSA, can even lead to patient fatalities. Repeated medical errors could indicate that a hospital or doctor is liable for a medical malpractice suit.
Medical malpractice is defined when someone within the medical community does not take due and reasonable care with a patient, as other professionals would have done.
If you have lost your loved one unexpectedly from a suspected medical error or if you have been gravely injured by a medical error, you might be considering a medical malpractice suit. But mere medical errors do not necessarily indicate malpractice.
Malpractice must involve negligence or not excercising due care. For example, negligence is involved (requires pre-awareness of problem) when nurses or doctors repeatedly give too many blood thinners.
Or, inadequate sanitation standards that lead to wide-spread MRSA exposure within the hospital is another example.
Are hospitals liable for death from MRSA infections caught in hospital?
If you have lost a loved one to what you think is a medical error in a hospital, or if you yourself have suffered from a medical error, you may be considering a medical malpractice lawsuit.
But claims and suits against hospitals can be complicated. There are several liability issues to consider:
· Doctors, rather than hospitals are sometimes liable for mistakes because they are independently contracted by a hospital.
· If the hospital knew about certain repeated medical errors that they didn't try to fix, they might be liable for patient injury or death. The liability could fall with a specific doctor, though, especially if medical errors are going unreported to hospital administration-- if they aren't aware of a problem they can't be held liable for it.
If you think you are a victim of medical malpractice, you should contact an attorney who specializes in personal injury and malpractice law. An attorney will be familiar with the laws and regulations and can help you determine who might be responsible for your injuries.
It's important to remember that medical malpractice is a very specialized area of law requiring a highly experienced attorney. Not only is your time to file a claim shorter than in other areas of the law, proving negligence on the part of your health care provider is very complex, which is precisely why hiring an experienced attorney is so critical. Medical malpractice lawyers at Tennessee's Gilreath & Associates possess the experience and knowledge to represent you during this vulnerable time.
You have to act fast though - time is absolutely critical, especially in medical malpractice cases. Contact an attorney at Gilreath & Associates to discuss your individual situation today.
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