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Hospitals bear responsibility for ensuring that patients receive safe and competent care from doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. A Westchester County medical malpractice attorney and White Plains medical malpractice lawyer can help if a healthcare facility fails to provide a standard level of care, leading to harm, injury, or even death to patients. Hospital negligence commonly occurs in the following ways.
Medication Errors
Medication errors are among the most common types of hospital negligence. These errors can include administering the wrong medication, incorrect dosage, or failure to recognize harmful drug interactions. For example, a nurse may misread a prescription or fail to confirm patient allergies, leading to adverse reactions, overdose, or severe complications. Medication errors are preventable with proper protocols and can have severe, even life-threatening consequences.
Surgical Mistakes
Surgical errors are instances of negligence that occur during surgery and can lead to long-lasting harm. Common errors include performing surgery on the wrong body part, leaving surgical instruments inside the patient, or accidental damage to internal organs or nerves. These mistakes are often the result of insufficient preparation, poor communication among the surgical team, or fatigue. Even minor surgical errors can lead to infections, chronic pain, and the need for additional surgeries to correct the damage.
Failure to Diagnose or Misdiagnosis
Failure to diagnose a medical condition or providing a misdiagnosis can result in a patient receiving delayed or incorrect treatment. In a hospital setting, doctors and nurses must assess symptoms accurately, perform the necessary tests, and make informed decisions based on those results. A failure to recognize the signs of life-threatening conditions like heart attacks, strokes, or infections can result in preventable harm or death. Misdiagnosis is particularly dangerous when it leads to unnecessary treatments or delays life-saving interventions.
Inadequate Patient Monitoring
Hospitals must monitor patients closely, especially those in critical care, recovering from surgery, or receiving complex treatments. Inadequate monitoring may include failing to check vital signs, neglecting to respond to alarms, or not addressing sudden changes in a patient’s condition. This negligence can lead to worsening conditions, unexpected complications, or death. Effective monitoring can prevent such outcomes, making this form of negligence particularly egregious when it occurs.
Hospital-Acquired Infections
Hospitals are responsible for maintaining strict sanitation and infection control standards to prevent patients from contracting infections within the facility. When hospitals fail to follow proper hygiene practices, patients can develop serious infections such as MRSA, pneumonia, or sepsis.
Negligent Hiring and Training Practices
Hospitals must hire qualified staff and provide adequate training to ensure all employees can provide safe, effective care. Negligent hiring, such as employing staff with insufficient credentials or a history of malpractice, puts patients at risk. Additionally, failing to train staff on proper protocols or new medical equipment increases the likelihood of errors.
How an Attorney Can Help in Hospital Negligence Cases
An experienced White Plains Medical Malpractice Attorney can play a critical role in helping victims of hospital negligence seek justice. Attorneys assess the details of the case, review medical records, and consult with medical experts to determine if the hospital failed to meet the standard of care. They can gather evidence, negotiate with insurance companies, and, if necessary, represent you in court to ensure you receive fair compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and any other losses.